Chapter 6 - The Echoes of Power
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Sadi sat on the expansive stone terrace of the Mercer estate, sipping a cup of dark roast coffee. The morning air was crisp, the sprawling gardens perfectly manicured and silent, insulated by high walls and armed patrols.
She watched Roman walk out onto the terrace, a sleek black phone pressed to his ear. He was speaking in rapid, flawless Italian, his tone commanding and sharp. He ended the call, slipping the phone into his jacket pocket, and walked over to where she sat.
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, taking a seat opposite her at the wrought-iron table.
“I did,” Sadi said, setting her coffee cup down. She looked at his relaxed posture. “You're in a suspiciously good mood this morning.”
“The weather is beautiful, and my wife is smiling. Why wouldn't I be?” Roman replied, a dangerous glint in his icy eyes.
“Arthur told me you made a few phone calls before breakfast,” Sadi prompted, raising an eyebrow. “Something regarding a law firm downtown?”
Roman did not look guilty. He simply poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Trevor Vance is no longer employed in this city,” Roman stated plainly. “No reputable firm will hire him. His bar license is currently under review for 'anonymous' ethics violations, and his bank accounts have been frozen pending a sudden, highly aggressive audit by my contacts at the IRS.”
Sadi exhaled slowly. She thought she would feel a spike of guilt, or perhaps a lingering sympathy for the man she had once loved. But as she thought of the way Trevor had kicked her, the way he had laughed at her poverty, she felt absolutely nothing.
“He took your last six hundred dollars, Sadi,” Roman said softly, reading the silence in her eyes. “He left you to starve because he thought he was destined for a throne. I am merely showing him what a real king looks like.”
“I don't pity him, Roman,” Sadi said truthfully. “I just... I spent so many years thinking I was the problem. Thinking I wasn't enough for him.”
May you like
Roman reached across the table, taking her hands in his.
“You were always too much for him,” Roman whispered fiercely. “He was a peasant trying to cage a queen. Now, he gets to live in the dirt where he belongs.”
