Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 54: Vance II

Gianna felt like kicking Tom in the face again and again, even though it was already bloodied and clearly in need of stitches, swollen and grotesque on the floor.

And with the look on Mason’s face as he glared at the fellow whimpering below him, jaw tight and eyes cold with contained fury, she knew the thought wasn’t far away from his mind either.

Sharing a bed with Vance?

That surely topped the rumor of the year.

It was crazy what jealousy could make one do, what envy could drag someone down into—how it could rot a man enough to make such vicious, careless comments without thinking of consequence.

Already, his job was over. And if Mason went the extra mile, as she strongly suspected he would, the fellow wouldn’t gain any job in any jewelry company for a long time.

She didn’t pity him. Not even when he met her gaze pleadingly, eyes watery and desperate.

What? Where was the proudness that had made him speak such nonsense so boldly?

So she smiled at him instead, a slow, deliberate smile, scoffing lightly when he shrank like she was a viper ready to strike.

He had banked on Vance swallowing the jibe as usual, didn’t understand that there was something called a breaking point—where a bullied person suddenly had enough of the nonsense and fought back.

If anything, Gianna was proud of Vance. Proud and curious about his background.

She didn’t peg him as one who could fight. Who could beat down someone as sturdy as Tom.

"Let’s go, Vance. The director would handle this." She said finally.

She met Mason’s gaze, and communication passed cleanly between them without words: Tom would have a hard time, and Vance wouldn’t be penalized for anything.

Why would he? There was no time for court cases or whatever else either—they had a collection to build.

"I’m sorry, Miss Gianna, if my lack of control had—"

Gianna waved it away dismissively as they walked into the elevator, already done with the subject. "The fool had it coming. Thank you instead for defending my honor..."

Vance smiled sheepishly, relief washing over him that she hadn’t been put off by Tom’s conduct, that she hadn’t backed away from the deal to protect her image. It would have been disheartening. Depressing.

"That’s where your table and stuff will be..." Gianna pointed at the space to the western part of her office, large enough for a desk, chair, and cupboards, as they walked into her office.

"Over the next couple of weeks, we will be working together... maybe late nights too... so come to work daily prepared."

She pursed her lips briefly, then added, softer, "How is your mother?"

Vance smiled then, tucking his bloodied knuckle subtly into his pants, suddenly self-conscious. "Fine. Will be better when she moves to a better hospital, like the Whitmans’..."

Gianna nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "That’s good."

"Thank you very much, Miss Gianna... I don’t think—"

Gianna scoffed lightly, cutting him off. "Enough of that. Transfer the enthusiasm to our work."

Vance nodded earnestly, almost too fast. "Of course. Of course."

A knock sounded on the door.

"Lottie, come in..." Gianna said, turning toward her desk to grab the printed works of the design she was going to work on with Vance.

She was greeted with silence. A pregnant one.

She turned aside, eyes instantly widening when she saw a smiling Athena standing there, holding a box of chocolates.

"Athena!! You sly fox!" Gianna screamed, laughing, already covering the distance between them.

A laughing Athena, clearly pleased that her surprise had worked, enveloped her in a warm hug, both of them swaying side to side while Vance—who had been utterly enthralled by Athena’s presence and beauty up close—watched.

He knew Athena. Who didn’t know the genius doctor that had saved them from annihilation by the strange virus?

But he had never seen the powerful woman up close; the most influential in the country—Athena Thorne.

When the women broke away, smiling widely, and Athena looked at him, every word of greeting flew clean out of his mouth.

"Uh..."

Athena chuckled, assessing him briefly, before looking back at Gianna. "Is he the genius that would make your designs better?"

Him? A genius?

Vance felt like he was floating in the sky.

Athena Thorne had called him a genius.

He barely heard Gianna ask Athena how she guessed right, or Athena saying something about Areso filling her in on the reason she would be staying back in the country for a while.

"So, she is really staying..." Gianna chuckled. "Interesting."

Athena raised a brow. "What am I missing?"

"You remember Dario..."

Athena snorted. "Of course. Owner of the best restaurant in town. I heard branches are springing up..."

Gianna nodded. "Our advertisement worked. He lets us eat for free at any shortlet now. Well... it seems he has hurt our Areso..."

Athena frowned. "They dated? How am I not aware of this?"

Gianna laughed, clasping her friend’s hand. "You were consumed by Ewan... how else would you notice us lesser humans..."

Athena rolled her eyes, laughing. "Tell me about—" She paused then, noting that Vance was still with them.

Vance, reading the room, sputtered a weak, almost unheard, "Excuse me," and rushed out of the room.

A beat of silence passed before Athena returned her attention to Gianna.

"He is always like that?"

Gianna nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah. But he just beat up a colleague for saying that we’re sharing a bed."

Athena looked torn between believing that and not—then, seeing the seriousness on her friend’s face, she laughed. "You are not joking..."

"Of course not. This place is a mill for rumors."

"As most corporate entities are..." Athena dumped herself on the sofa, opened the box of chocolates.

"I thought they were for me?" Gianna asked.

Athena shrugged. "I’m not eating it alone."

Gianna snorted, sat down beside her, and grabbed a chocolate. "So... how did it go... honeymooning..."

When Athena blushed pink, Gianna rubbed her hands together mischievously after throwing the chocolate into her mouth. "Out with it."

Athena shook her head weakly. "I can’t recap the same thing three times. We can have a girls’ night out tonight... are you busy?"

Gianna shook her head. Work could wait. Just one night with her girls. "Nah, it’s the weekend."

Athena studied her for a beat, then shrugged. "Alright then. For now, out with it... Areso and Dario—what’s going on? And tell me about this thing I’m hearing... you slept with Zane?"

A laugh burst from Athena when Gianna cussed and pouted.

"Damn..." she continued when her laughter died down. "I’ve always wanted this drama."