Chapter 3
The master bedroom’s walk-in closet was larger than most Manhattan apartments, brilliantly illuminated by recessed lighting that reflected off rows of designer clothing, glass display cases, and polished wood. Elena stepped into the brilliant light, the warmth of the room doing nothing to thaw the absolute ice that had taken over her veins.
She bypassed the racks of extravagant silk dresses, the rows of red-soled designer heels, and the fur coats Nico had bought to drape her in his wealth. She walked straight to the very back of the closet, reaching up to a high shelf to pull down an old, faded black canvas duffel bag. It was the exact same bag she had brought with her when she moved in three years ago.
"Miss Elena?" a soft, hesitant voice called out from the closet entrance.
Elena turned to see Maria, the elderly housekeeper, standing awkwardly by the doorway holding a stack of freshly pressed towels. Maria’s kind eyes widened as she took in the sight of the open duffel bag.
"I am leaving, Maria," Elena said quietly, her voice remarkably steady as she began pulling her oldest, most worn clothes from the hidden corners of the closet. Faded jeans, simple cotton sweaters, and plain undergarments went into the canvas bag.
"Leaving? But... it is almost midnight, Miss Elena," Maria stammered, stepping into the closet. "Does Mr. Moretti know? Should I ask the driver to prepare the car for you?"
"No," Elena replied firmly, zipping a compartment of the duffel. "Mr. Moretti does not know, and he does not care. And please, Maria, do not call the driver. I am taking the subway."
"The subway?" Maria gasped, horrified. "Miss Elena, you cannot! Please, let me call Arthur. You are upset. People say things they do not mean when the business is bad."
"He meant it, Maria," Elena said, her chestnut-brown hair falling over her shoulder as she walked toward the heavy steel safe built into the wall. "He meant every single word."
Elena quickly punched the code into the digital keypad. The heavy steel door clicked and swung open. Inside sat stacks of cash, crucial syndicate documents, and a velvet display tray overflowing with breathtaking jewelry.
Elena reached into her pocket and pulled out the heavy, solid-metal black card Nico had given her. It had an unlimited limit, tied directly to his primary accounts. With a slow, deliberate motion, she placed the black card directly on top of a dazzling, untouched diamond necklace. She didn't take a single dollar. She didn't take a single gem.
"You are leaving everything?" Maria whispered, tears welling in the older woman's eyes. "All the beautiful gifts he gave you?"
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"They were never gifts, Maria," Elena replied, her voice soft but laced with profound exhaustion as she closed the heavy safe door, spinning the lock. "They were chains. And I am finally taking them off. Tell him I said goodbye."
Elena grabbed the handles of her canvas duffel, leaving the illuminated closet behind, completely abandoning the millions of dollars of luxury that had never managed to make her feel loved.
