Page 133 of Brutal Heir

All I wanted was a chance.

A chance to break him, even if it was just for one fleeting moment.

The hard glint in his gaze intensified as his lips thinned.

I swayed and had to grasp the edge of the desk behind me for purchase.

He snatched his jacket off the desk, slipped his arms into it, and glared at me as he buttoned it. Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and marched to the door. After opening it, he paused.

"The car will take you home at five. Be ready by seven.”

He slammed the door shut behind him.

Unable to keep up the farce any longer, I crumpled to the floor. Leaning my forehead against the side of the desk, I let the tears I’d barely kept back flow.

The last time I defied him, I'd lost my job and was basically kidnapped.

And that was in a city where I at least had a few friends to turn to for help.

I barely knew anyone in Rome.

And, as I’d already witnessed, everyone feared Sebastian in this town.

What would happen if I dared to defy him again?

CHAPTER 36

SEBASTIAN

Tonight, there was no turning back.

I poured myself a glass of wine and stood before the newly lit fire in the front salon. The flames slowly consumed the fresh log, turning its outer bark black.

The board had caught wind of the judge’s investigation. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind—my father was behind it. He was making his move.

I could no longer afford to hold back with my plan.

The time was now to halt the investigation and rein in the judge once and for all before the next board meeting. It was now or never.

And to do that…he needed to know Sabrina was under my control.

I studied the cigar in my hand before raising it to my lips and inhaling. Blowing out a puff of blue smoke, I let the pleasant, earthy aroma of the burning tobacco blend with the scent from the fire, finding solace in the quiet destruction.

Sabrina.

The girl had taken me by surprise—not an easy feat.

On paper, she was supposed to be pretty, reasonably intelligent, and obedient to authority figures.

In reality, she was achingly beautiful, with eyes that sparked with creative fire. She wasn’t just intelligent; she was talented and brilliant, with a mind perfectly suited for our industry. She had an eye for style, color, and an instinct for trends that would serve the House of Diamanti extremely well.

She was also passionate, sweetly stubborn, and kind.

There wasn’t a person who met her who didn’t fall under her spell. My staff, both at home and at the office, were completely enamored. Just this morning, I learned my chef had been leaving the palazzo early each day to get the first choice of pastries from a local bakery—just because he knew Sabrina loved them.

And Florian couldn’t get enough of her. He had already asked to feature her in next year’s holiday campaigns for our primary diamond lines.

She was becoming beloved.