9. Valerie

Chapter nine

Valerie

G ood luck on your first day Fiore Mio, and tell Antonio if anything happens to you, I'll beat him with my new titanium hip.

My father's words from this morning cause a smile to travel up my lips as I enter the exceptionally large building.

Vitale Holdings truly put every other building in the surrounding area to shame. Not just towering over all of them with its forty stories, but also with its advanced modernism. It sticks out like a sore thumb against the more traditional buildings that surround it.

I stumble up to the front desk of the almost clinical-looking lobby. My kitten heels tic-tacking against the white tiles. The entire expanse of this place seems as if it's never seen a speck of dust in its entire existence.

‘"Hello, welcome to Vitale Holdings. My name is Fabio, how may I help you?" The man at the front desk, who seems roughly my age, rattles off. His eyes barely lifting off his computer screen.

He seems drained as if he'd rather be watching paint dry than be here right now.

"Hi, uhm… I'm Valerie, I'm supposed to be starting today as Ambrose's new assistant."

The words barely leave my mouth, and when his head shoots up, his eyes are wide. "New assistant?" His brow raises. "He has an assistant named Alexa."

I stand in silence, my eyes scanning around, waiting for one of the brothers to pop up and tell me how this is all a prank. But after a few painfully silent minutes, I realise that is not the case.

Numerous thoughts start running through my mind. Did Antonio change his mind after the stunt I pulled at Scala ? Did Ambrose hire someone else to spite his brother and me?

"Valerie?" A voice calls from behind me, and I spot Augustus walking up to me.

"Mr. Vitale, I was just asking her to leave." Fabio stands up, a bright pink blush creeping up his face in what I can only assume is embarrassment.

"No need, she's practically family. Well, I guess I shouldn't call you that anymore since you work for us now."

"By us, do you mean Ambrose?" I deadpan, and he can't help but try to stifle the laugh threatening to escape.

"What happened to Alexa?" Fabio asks from beside me, and as if he realises he overstepped, he quickly apologises and turns to busy himself with some papers.

"C'mon, I'll take you up. I'll ask IT to set you up with an access card later," he says as he guides me to the elevator.

My eyes scan the expanse of the lobby and the first few floors that overlook it. A large metal sculpture graces the centre of the room, I need to make an effort to have a closer look later as to who the artist is.

"So what happened to Alexa?" I ask as the doors to the elevator close.

Augustus sighs. "Do you want the truth or the story we're telling everyone?"

"Both, so I know which one not to say aloud."

He pins me with a hard stare before leaning a bit closer as if the walls truly do have ears. "Ambrose hooked up with her and fired her straight after, we're telling everyone she quit. "

My eyes widen, but the doors open to the fortieth floor before I can comment.

"I didn't say anything," Augustus says under his breath as he guides me out of the elevator.

I wonder if that's the girl I saw Ambrose kissing in the hallway, the evening of his father's funeral. The way he held onto her and the way his lips trailed her skin left me stunned, and the thought alone still has me clenching my thighs slightly as we arrive outside a set of large doors.

I look over at Augustus and I guess my face speaks for me because he all but bursts out laughing when he looks at me.

"Don't look so scared, Val…it's Ambrose. Besides, he can smell fear, don't let him get in your head."

"I'm not scared, I'm in awe that Ambrose found an office big enough to fit his huge ego, and–"

Someone clears their throat from behind us. When both Gus and I turn around, we come face to face with the devil himself in all his glory, and I never thought the devil would look this good in a suit.

His suit jacket is missing, and his white shirt is on full display, sleeves rolled up till his elbows, revealing the many tattoos that cover his forearms. They do little to hide the veins roping around them, if anything, they emphasise them.

The white shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a thin gold chain that disappears beneath the fabric. It isn't until my eyes return to his face that I notice a scowl forming as he takes in my appearance.

He heard what I said.

"Oh. It's you," he says, eyes giving me a once over.

"That's my cue to leave." Augustus shifts uncomfortably next to me. "I hope you have a good first day, Val."

"Thank you for helping me get up here." I smile and he nods as he begins walking away from Ambrose and me.

"Don't forget our meeting later," Ambrose warns .

"Yes sir." Augustus salutes, and Ambrose clenches his jaw in my peripheral vision.

Augustus' absence is felt instantly. The air shifts from comfortable to awkward within seconds. His eyes return to me and he almost looks bored.

"If you were so desperate for money, I'm sure Antonio would have given it to you in exchange for some attention." he shrugs, walking towards a desk in front of his office.

My feet stay rooted in their spot as I try to process whether to tell him to fuck off, or just keep quiet. "That's not-"

"But, since you're already here, you may as well make yourself useful." He cuts me off as he leans against the desk.

"There is a coffee shop at the end of the block. Can you go pick up my usual order and then bring it back here? I'll find something else for you to do while you're busy with that."

His eyes rake over me a final time before he retreats to his office.

"Asshole," I say aloud as I stare at the closed office door.