Viviana stood within a meeting room, swathed in a black-colored suit with a white silky scarf bow around her neck. She was staring with a bewildered expression.
At the long glass table, Mr. Amadeo Di-grassi, the chairman of the board, occupied the head chair with legs crossed. Filling in the remaining seats were board members, directors, the legal counsel, and the other executives.
Right off the bat, Viviana could feel that something was off.
Why had she not been informed about this meeting until she arrived at work this morning?
There was no seat for her even though she was the CEO of the company. Staring at them rounding the table like this made her feel as though they were about to pass judgement on her.
"May I ask what this meeting is for?"
She had the right to know.
Amadeo steepled his fingers. "From today onward, Lady Di-grassi, you are no longer the CEO of Vizera Luxe."
She went still. The information slowly settled into her head, and she crossed gazes with every board member, confused.
"What?"
"It was a hard decision to make, but we had to. It's for the goodness of this corporation," her father continued.
Viviana swallowed hard. "I don't understand. First, a meeting is called without my knowledge, and now, I am being stripped of my status? What?"
"It is as you've heard," one of the executive directors, who was none other than her stepsister, Serena, said. "Concerning the nonsense show you put on yesterday, we've had no choice but to come to this conclusion."
"You can't do that. You have no right," Viviana retaliated, clenching her fists.
"Of course she has no right." This time it was Savannah who spoke. "And that is why the board members have drawn a vote."
A vote?
A group vote?
"This must be a joke." Viviana looked at their faces, every eye watching her maliciously. "If you're going to do this, perhaps tell me my crime? What did I do wrong? Why was this meeting necessary?"
Serena crossed her legs.
"You are the CEO of Vizera Luxe, Lady Di-grassi, and whatever actions you take reflect on the company. You are aware of that, are you not?" she asked. "Do you know how wide the stunt you pulled yesterday has spread all across the Valestra continent? Everyone is talking about you, about the Di-grassi family, about Vizera Luxe. What do you have to say about that?"
Viviana's stomach twisted. "Meaning what?"
Savannah looked her up and down, saying, "We'll drop the entire vote only on one condition." She interlocked her fingers, popping them under her chin with a grin plastered on her lips. "If you agree to hold a press conference tomorrow and apologize. But wait. Not only will you apologize, but you must divorce that man you married, and we'll pretend none of it ever happened. How about that, Lady Di-grassi?"
The rest of the board members nodded, concurring.
They were cornering her, intending to overwhelm and suffocate her in the process.
Viviana looked at her father. The man was silent, agreeing to everything they've stated. But was she even surprised? If he couldn't even care for her mother, why would he ever care for her?
She filled her lungs with air, trying to stay calm. "First of all, the man I married has nothing to do with any of you. What you've just stated is not a crime. I have every right to marry the man I desire, and whatever choice I make concerning my personal life is not a business of yours."
"Of course, it isn't." Serena gave a nonchalant shrug. "But the way you went about it—that's the crime. You were supposed to marry Fernando Stolov, yet you barged into your wedding with another man, a man you are rumored to have cheated with."
She continued, "Viviana, giving an apology won't be the end—"
"An apology?" Viviana interrupted. "Why should I apologize? For what? What is it that I've done wrong? Is it my unwillingness to marry a man who'd been actively cheating on me? I've given evidence that proved he did. Why am I being chastised?"
The board members intently stared at her.
The fountain pen her father held bent the tighter he gripped it.
"I see you're unwilling to accept your wrongdoings." His lips twisted into something unreadable as he stood up. "There is no need to drag this on anymore. All in favor of stripping her to the level of an intern, please lift your hands."
Savannah lifted first. Her daughter followed suit. The rest of the board members did, and that didn't exclude Amadeo himself.
Viviana's stomach clenched with nausea as bile rose to her throat.
"A level low as an intern?"
She lowered her head and chuckled bitterly.
"Really?"
She met her father's eyes. "You asked them to do this, didn't you? It's all a setup by you, I know—"
Amadeo stormed toward her. "Not one more word out of your mouth, Viviana."
He glanced at the board members, saying in an authoritative tone, "We've all come to a conclusion, so this meeting is dismissed. Now, I'd like to have a word with my daughter. It seems she and I have some misunderstandings to clear between us."
Everyone understood, rising to their feet. Serena and her mother stilled for a second, smirking at her with a look that screamed she was done for.
The door slammed shut.
Amadeo walked back to the glass table and settled himself on the edge of it, his ankles crossed.
"Why?" Viviana asked, barely audible. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Are you really asking me such questions, Viviana?"
"Pa—"
"You're being rebellious, and I don't like it. I didn't raise you to disobey me or behave so uncouthly. I told you, you couldn't marry a man of your choice, not to mention a nobody, yet you did."
She glared at him. "You don't even know him."
"Shut your mouth!" he barked at her. "More than anyone, you know that what I hate the most is when people go against me. I made sure to raise you to perfection, and after meeting that thing—"
"Don't insult him!"
"—You are growing wings. And it makes you ugly."
Amadeo adjusted the pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
"One week is all I give you to divorce that loser. And then, we can all pretend that none of this ever happened. You'll be reinstated as the CEO of Vizera Luxe, and your apartment will be yours again. I'll forgive you for what you've done, and we can all start afresh. If you don't, however, you will forever remain of low status within this company and…"
"...Your bank will remain frozen."
Viviana's body locked up immediately, and she dilated her pupils at him. "My… bank?"
"Yes. It's completely frozen, and you have nothing as of this moment. I wouldn't throw you out of Maison de Vesta and leave you with money. I'm not that stupid."
She took a step toward him. "You froze my account without… my permission?"
"I did. And there is nothing you can do about it." Amadeo smiled with no trace of humor. "You are not getting a dime from that account without MY permission. And sweetie, I do not plan to give you a dime. I want you to taste what a life without your father's support is like. And by the time you come crawling back to me, you will have learned your lesson and understood that no one defies me. Not even you."
The corners of Viviana's lips twitched before a quiet chuckle broke through. "You are one evil man, Pa."
"And that is why you don't get on my bad side, Viviana," Amadeo said. "Your obedience gets you whatever you desire. How long do you think you can survive? How much do you think this low status can earn you?"
He rose to his feet, rounding her in a circle with a face painted with disappointment.
"One week, Viviana, one week is all you have to make a decision. Divorce that man, and you get everything back. Keep being stubborn and I'll just make you miserable."
"Now," he said. "I have another meeting to schedule with Mr. Bastiani, who owns Bratva. You're aware we've been trying to get him into the project horizon and make it much bigger than we initially planned. He hasn't answered yet, though, but there's nothing to worry about. I'll get him to meet me. After all, I am…"
"…Amadeo Di-grassi."