Chapter 2

Sorenna's POV

For the next few days, neither of us mentioned that night.

He left at 7 a.m. as usual, kissing my forehead before he went. I opened the financial reports at 9 a.m. to audit the last quarter.

A piece of me was collapsing, but the books wouldn't balance themselves just because I was heartbroken.

I thought I could quietly hold on until I left.

On Thursday at 10 a.m., Delia Ward walked into the finance department with a woman.

Delia was the Group HR Director; she never did small talk. The woman beside her wore a beige suit and pearl earrings, smiling gracefully.

"Everyone, let me introduce Aurea Moretti. She will be taking over Group Finance starting next month."

The room went dead silent for two seconds.

That was my position.

I had just passed the evaluation this month—three rounds of interviews, a ninety-page summary. HR had already told me to prepare for the transition.

Aurea nodded to the room, smiling politely. "I'm still learning. I look forward to working with you all."

After the meeting, Nina leaned against my desk with her coffee.

"Now you finally get it. A position gained through connections can be taken by stronger connections." She sneered. "Did you really think you got here on merit?"

We joined Voss Group together. She helped me with my first consolidated spreadsheet, and we ate at that sandwich shop downstairs for a year.

Then I got promoted too fast, and the way she looked at me changed.

"Now a stronger connection is here, and you're out." she tilted her chin. "Do you know who she is? Aurea Moretti. From the Moretti family. Kept women eventually get thrown out. You deserve this."

I put my pen down.

"Are you done?"

She didn't continue because the elevator doors opened.

Silvan walked in, shirt sleeves rolled up, followed by two corporate lawyers. The whole floor immediately lowered their heads.

I followed him to his office door.

"Why? I went through three rounds of evaluations for this."

He dropped the files on his desk. "She’s here to learn. She’s her family's heir; she’ll take over their business eventually."

"Besides, she's qualified." He looked up. "Wharton, four years at Goldman Sachs. Her resume is as good as yours."

Three years ago, I missed a tax assumption in an M&A model. He threw the file back at me in front of six directors, ordering me to redo it. I hid in the bathroom for twenty minutes after the meeting; he didn't send a single text.

I was devastated then, but I figured it out—he was like that with everyone. No favoritism. Not targeting me.

I used to think that was fair.

Now I knew he did show favoritism, just not to me.

"Understood," I said.

At 4:30 p.m., I knocked on Delia's door and slid my resignation letter across her desk.

She looked at it for two seconds and took off her glasses.

"Is this about the promotion, Sorenna? You've been here six years. Does Mr. Voss know?"

"It has nothing to do with the position. I'm going home to get married. Mr. Voss is my boss. He'll know once the paperwork goes through."

She opened her mouth but just said, "Congratulations."

I walked out, and my phone buzzed.

Silvan: There's a banquet tomorrow night. Come with me. I’ve prepared your dress. I’ll pick you up at 7.

The next evening, he drove himself. I got into the passenger seat; he leaned over to buckle my seatbelt, his hand lingering on my wrist for two seconds.

I didn't pull away.

My dress was burgundy, perfectly matching his suit. In the rearview mirror, sitting side-by-side, we looked like a magazine cover.

This would probably be the last time.

The car pulled into a seaside estate. The driveway was packed with cars, a white floral arch and hundreds of chairs set up on the lawn.

"This is a wedding."

"A friend’s," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Rocco. I’ve known him for over ten years."

The moment we walked in, we were surrounded.

"Silvan! You finally showed up." A round-faced man patted his shoulder, his eyes darting to me. "And this is—"

"Hello," I spoke up before he could. "I'm from the Group Finance Department. Mr. Voss's secretary couldn't make it, so I'm filling in."

My tone was flat, completely strictly business.

The man froze for half a second, then laughed. "Thank you for your hard work."

Silvan turned his head and stared at me.

He looked at me for a long time, but I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes.

I picked up a glass of champagne, stepped back, and stood behind him.

No one else asked about our relationship for the rest of the night.

As the dessert tables were being cleared, someone stood next to me.

"So you're Sorenna."

I turned. It was Aurea. She had changed into a pale green dress, holding a glass of sparkling water.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself this morning."

"Aurea Moretti." She looked down her nose at me. "Silvan Voss's fiancée."

"He never mentioned it to you, did he?"