Part 2
Nathan stood up slowly.
The air in the room instantly grew cold.
He looked at Victoria, his ex-fiancée, standing there in her thousand-dollar white fur coat.
She smelled of expensive perfume and arrogance.
For three years, he had thought she was the standard of everything he wanted.
Elegant.
Sophisticated.
A perfect match for a billionaire.
Now, looking at her, he only felt a profound sense of emptiness.
"Victoria," Nathan said, his voice dropping an octave.
"You don't have a key to this house anymore."
Victoria laughed, a sharp, brittle sound that echoed off the marble walls.
"The security guard knows me, Nathan. Besides, I brought you a gift."
She tossed the designer bags onto the polished table, right next to Daisy's carefully placed napkin.
"But it looks like you’ve already found yourself some entertainment."
She looked at Jenna’s worn shoes, then at Daisy’s faded coat.
A cruel smile touched her lips.
"Is this your new charity project? Or is the market doing so badly that you're dating the staff?"
Jenna’s face burned with humiliation.
She grabbed Daisy’s hand, her fingers trembling.
"We are leaving, Mr. Calloway," Jenna whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor.
"Thank you for the dinner."
She tried to step past Victoria, but Nathan moved faster.
He intercepted Jenna, placing a firm, warm hand on her shoulder.
"Don't," he said gently to Jenna.
Then he turned to Victoria.
The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy glare that had crushed rival CEOs in boardrooms across the country.
"You will apologize to her," Nathan said, his voice dangerously quiet.
Victoria blinked, caught off guard.
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Nathan stepped closer.
"You walked into my home uninvited."
"You insulted my guests."
"And you brought your toxic attitude into a space where it is not welcome."
"So, you will apologize to Jenna, and then you will leave."
Victoria’s jaw dropped.
"Guests? Nathan, she’s a maid! She cleans the toilets of people we know!"
"She has more dignity in her little finger than you have in your entire social circle," Nathan shot back.
Daisy hid behind her mother, gripping Jenna’s coat tightly.
But her small eyes were wide, watching the tall man defend them.
Victoria’s face twisted in rage.
"You’ve lost your mind. The pressure finally broke you."
She grabbed her designer bags off the table.
"Keep your little maid. See if she can help you close a billion-dollar merger."
She spun on her heels, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.
The heavy front door slammed shut behind her.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Jenna pulled away from Nathan's hand, her shoulders shaking.
"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered, a tear finally escaping and rolling down her cheek.
"She’s right. I am just the cleaning lady. Now she’s going to tell everyone, and your reputation—"
"My reputation doesn't keep me warm at night, Jenna," Nathan interrupted softly.
He looked down at his hand, then at the table.
"And for the record, she was wrong about one more thing."
Jenna looked up, her eyes red and swimming with tears.
"What?"
Nathan looked at Daisy, who was peering out from behind her mother.
"She said I was alone."
May you like
He reached into his pocket and touched the broken candy cane.
"But I’m not. Not tonight."
