Page 102 of Broken Crown

He opened the file, let out a low whistle, and winked. "Inverted underwater in a tank? You have my attention, young lady."

Filomena crossed and tried to look in the open folder.

Mark snapped the file shut, denying her. "Sorry, this is a private matter between me and Sabrina." He nodded toward the door. "Your first clue was the closed door you just barged through."

Filomena let out a screech. "How dare you imply something within the House of Diamanti is none of my concern." She shoved the back of her hand in his face. "I am⁠—"

Mark raised a palm and mimicked her thick Italian accent. “Signora Diamanti. Yeah. Yeah. I got it. You're the mother I've heard so much about."

Sweat beaded at the nape of my neck, dampening the collar of my silk blouse. I lowered my head and groaned, so I didn't notice when Mark crossed behind the desk.

He placed a hand on my lower back, leaned in, and kissed me on the cheek. His stubble scratched against my skin, the sensation jarringly intimate in the tension-filled room.

"We'll talk later. Text me."

I barely heard him. I was too busy staring at Sebastian's office door, waiting for it to fly off its hinges.

Would Mark even make it out of my office?

The room tilted slightly, spots dancing at the edges of my vision.

Nothing.

My knees buckled, and I had to grip the edge of the desk to stay upright.

The cool marble beneath my fingertips was the only thing that felt real.

Sebastian had mentioned having meetings that would keep him out of the office all day, but I didn't think I'd actually get lucky enough for that to be true.

Mark slung his jacket over his shoulder and headed toward the door. "Till later, Sabrina." He gave Filomena an exaggerated bow as he spread his arms wide. "Your Highness."

After he left, the silence was deafening.

I straightened some already neat piles of glossy fashion photos, as well as my stapler and the crystal paperweight she'd touched.

Unable to take the tension any longer, I cleared my throat. "Signora Diamanti, is there anything I can do for you?"

Filomena paced in front of my desk with a hand on her hip, wagging one perfectly manicured nail at me. "I knew you were a whore."

My back straightened.

Looking straight past her, I took a deep breath and said, "While I appreciate that you are one of the family members who own the House of Diamanti, if you insist on speaking to me in such a manner, I will have to ask you to leave my office."

Her lips twisted in a smirk as she lowered herself into one of the leather chairs in front of me.

She leaned forward, the facets of her diamond earrings catching the light, casting tiny prisms across my desk. "And what are you going to do when I say no?"

I marched toward my door and held it wide open, my intent unmistakable.

The cool air from the hallway washed over my overheated skin. "If you have an issue with my job performance, you can take it up with your son Sebastian."

She rose.

Instead of crossing to the door, she approached the espresso machine. "I'm terrible with this stupid thing. Make me an espresso."

Well, I guessed I knew where Sebastian got his knack for ordering people about.

She turned and faced me, one hip cocked to the side, her arms crossed. "And trust me, you're going to want to close that door when you hear what I have to say."