Chapter 2 - The Perfect Revenge
The next morning, my best friend Maya sat across from me with two cups of black coffee and murder in her eyes.
"I'm going to kill her," she muttered, gripping her ceramic mug like a weapon.
"Get in line," I answered, staring blankly at the wall. "I'm first."
I hadn't slept a single minute.
But sometime during the night, my heartbreak had transformed into something colder.
"I don't want revenge because I'm hurt anymore," I admitted, my voice surprisingly steady.
"I want them to regret everything. I want them to feel as small and humiliated as I did."
Maya leaned forward, her protective instincts fully activated.
"What are you planning?"
"I'm going to make Liam realize exactly what he lost."
"How? By keying his car? Because I have the keys to my brother's tow truck."
I smiled for the first time since everything fell apart.
"No. I'm going to show up with someone better."
She nodded approvingly. "Good. We can find a model. Someone ridiculously hot."
"Older," I added.
Another nod. "Even better. A silver fox to make Liam feel like a little boy."
"Richer."
"Okay... I know a few guys in finance we could call."
I took a sip of coffee before saying the words that nearly made her choke.
"I'm borrowing Liam's father."
Coffee sprayed across the table, dripping onto the napkin dispenser.
"What?" Maya gasped, coughing violently.
"Nico Rossi."
"You've completely lost your mind, Luna. Grief has broken your brain."
"I met him at a family dinner six months ago," I explained, leaning in.
"He's handsome, powerful, divorced, and still entirely single."
"Luna... he's Liam's father. That is a nuclear option."
"Exactly. Liam has always been intimidated by him. He’s spent his whole life trying to step out of Nico's shadow."
The idea sounded crazier every time I repeated it.
Which only made me want to do it more.
That evening, the Rossi family was hosting their annual charity gala.
It was the social event of the season, and Liam had been stressing about it for months.
Maya convinced me to wear the red dress I'd bought a year ago but had been too afraid to wear.
It was backless, sweeping, and commanded attention. It required absolute confidence.
Tonight, I had nothing left to lose, which meant I was practically invincible.
When I stepped into the Grandon Hotel ballroom, the heavy oak doors opening before me, every eye seemed to turn in my direction.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while champagne flowed freely among New York's wealthiest families.
The low hum of classical music mixed with the chatter of the elite.
I scanned the room, my heart hammering against my ribs, until I found the Rossi family seated near the stage.
Liam looked uncomfortable, pulling at his collar.
Amber clung to his arm like she'd already won the lottery, wearing a smirk that made my blood boil.
His mother, Valentina Rossi—Nico’s formidable ex-wife—sat beside them, wearing diamonds worth more than my entire apartment building.
Then I saw him.
Nico Rossi.
He stood apart from the others, near the grand staircase.
He was calm, commanding, and impossibly composed in a tailored black tuxedo.
The silver at his temples only made him look more distinguished.
The moment his dark eyes met mine across the crowded ballroom, something in his expression changed.
He recognized me.
He knew exactly who I was.
May you like
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he set down his crystal whiskey glass.
He ignored two powerful board members trying to shake his hand, and began walking straight toward me.
