Chapter 5 - THE VIPER'S NEST
The news that the Marchetti-Ashford alliance was officially dead shattered Chicago's political landscape. Without Enzo's financial backing, Senator Ashford's campaign funds dried up overnight, and rumors of his offshore tax fraud began circulating in the media like wildfire.
Desperate to regain leverage, Camilla Ashford launched a vicious retaliatory strike.
On a rainy Thursday afternoon, I was preparing documents for Enzo's meeting with the Board of Directors when my phone buzzed with an urgent alert.
A high-profile gossip blog had leaked a story titled: From Waitress to Mob Concubine: The Grifter Who Ruined Chicago's Wedding of the Century.
The article was filled with vile lies, painting me as a calculated gold-digger who had deliberately staged the incident at the gala to seduce Enzo Marchetti and steal his fortune. It even included leaked photos of my family's old rundown apartment, mocking my impoverished background.
I stood frozen in the middle of the executive hallway, my hands shaking as I scrolled through the toxic comment sections.
Suddenly, the door to Enzo’s corner office swung open. He stepped out, followed by three nervous-looking public relations executives. The moment his eyes landed on me, his brows furrowed.
"Elena. What's wrong?"
Wordlessly, I handed him my phone.
Enzo read the article. As his eyes moved across the text, the atmospheric pressure in the hallway seemed to plummet to freezing temperatures. The three executives shrank back against the wall, terrified of the murderous aura radiating from their boss.
"Who owns this media outlet?" Enzo asked, his voice deathly quiet.
"It's... it's a subsidiary owned by the Ashford Holdings Group, sir," one of the executives stuttered. "Camilla Ashford is the editor-in-chief of that digital section."
Enzo handed the phone back to me. "Marco," he called out.
Marco materialized instantly from the shadow of the elevator bank. "Boss?"
"Buy that media company," Enzo commanded flatly. "Buy every stock, every debt note, and every server they own. I want it done by 3:00 PM today."
"Sir, that will cost over twenty million dollars on short notice—" the executive stammered.
"Did I ask for a budget breakdown?" Enzo snapped, glaring at the man until he bowed his head in silence. "Buy it. Fire the entire editorial board. And issue a public retraction stating that Camilla Ashford was terminated from her board position due to corporate defamation."
"Enzo, wait," I said, stepping forward and stopping Marco with a firm gesture.
Everyone in the hallway gasped softly. No one ever stopped Enzo Marchetti when he was in a rage.
Enzo looked at me, his eyes burning with protective fury. "She is trying to destroy you, Elena."
"And if you buy the company to cover it up, people will think she was right—that you are just hiding the truth for me," I said, my voice growing stronger with every word. I adjusted my jacket, looking Enzo straight in the eye. "Don't buy them out. Give me thirty minutes in front of the press. I'll handle Camilla Ashford myself."
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Enzo stared at me for a long, silent moment. Slowly, the terrifying fury in his eyes dissolved into something entirely different—profound respect and unmistakable pride.
"The stage is yours," Enzo said softly.
