Chapter 10 - The Invitation to the Lion’s Den
Three days later, the official envelope arrived at my apartment via private courier.
It wasn't an email or a phone call. It was a thick, cream-colored cardstock envelope sealed with a heavy dab of crimson wax bearing the Fierro family crest.
Inside was a single, handwritten invitation:
“Jessica, The hospital committee meeting is merely a formality. The real work begins tonight at 8:00 p.m. at my residence on Lake Shore Drive. Wear something green. Your ex-husband will be attending as a corporate guest of our junior real estate partners. Let’s finish the dance. — Giovanni.”
I stared at the card, my breath catching in my throat.
Tyler was going to be there.
Not because he belonged in Giovanni’s inner circle, but because Fierro Global Capital had just acquired the commercial debt of the firm Tyler worked for, effectively making Giovanni his ultimate, untouchable boss.
I walked over to my small bedroom closet, pushing aside my work scrubs and old sweaters until my hand brushed against a dark emerald-green silk dress I had bought at a thrift boutique two years ago for a friend’s promotion party—a dress I never thought I’d have an occasion to wear again.
I pulled it out, holding it against myself in front of the mirror.
My reflection stared back at me. No longer the terrified, cornered woman sitting by the kitchen doors at Table Twelve. No longer the abandoned pregnant bride holding back tears.
May you like
I reached for my phone, dialed Marcus—the contact number Giovanni had left on his business card—and spoke with a calm, steady voice that surprised even myself.
“Tell Mr. Fierro,” I said softly, “that I’ll be there at eight.”
