~Anne's POV~
I recognized that voice faster than Riccardo because I was the first to jolt backwards. Before I could understand what was going on, Clara was already on me.
"You—" she hissed, her hand lifting before I could react.
The slap never landed.
Riccardo's hand shot out, fingers wrapping tightly around her wrist just before it reached me. The sound of his voice was serious and cold when he spoke. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
For a moment, she looked genuinely startled that he had stopped her. But it didn't last. Her face twisted with fury, and she wrenched her wrist free, glaring at me as though I were some pest that had invaded her space.
"Don't defend her, Riccardo!" she snapped, her voice shrill. "This—this whore has no shame! She should be doing her job instead of throwing herself at her boss!"
I stood still, unsure if I should retaliate or keep up my formal act. She was clearly an acquaintance of Riccardo's and while I didn't know what they had going on, I could that she clearly had a thing for Riccardo, and all of this probably stemmed from jealousy.
She charged forward once more, but Riccardo stepped forward immediately, blocking her from getting anywhere near me again. Now he was infuriated, and he didn't try to hide his rage when he spoke.
"Watch your mouth, Clara. One more word from you and I'll have you thrown out of the building."
Anybody would be shaking if Riccardo spoke with them with such seriousness, but clearly not Clara. "Oh, come on!" she spat, gesturing wildly toward me. "You think I don't see what's going on here? She's pathetic, Riccardo! She's like the others. She's probably thinking of getting pregnant and framing you like the other bitch—"
"I've heard enough—"
"Enough," Riccardo growled, his voice thundering over mine. He turned slightly, glancing back at me just long enough for our eyes to meet, he knew I had lost my patience, and that look was meant to calm me down. I could tell he was begging me to please let him handle it. I obeyed, calming myself and standing still while I watched him yank her out of his office. In a second the building security had reached them, and in another second Clara was being dragged out of the building, her voice still ringing through the place.
I remained where I stood until Riccardo returned. He was visibly annoyed, but he managed to brighten his expressions the very second he walked into the room.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. His voice carried the kind of sincerity that could melt stone. "You shouldn't have been dragged into that mess. Clara—she's…" He hesitated, exhaling heavily. "She's complicated. And she usually is a lot to deal with."
I forced a smile just to be polite, he had saved me from Clara earlier anyway. I wanted to ask him who that lady was, what affair they had going on, but decided to keep my thoughts to myself, it was none of my business anyway.
Riccardo stepped closer, and I could feel the warmth radiating off him. My breath got caught in my throat once more, and I felt my pulse quicken as he closed the space between us even further. I shouldn't let this happen, it wasn't healthy for me.
His hand brushed against my arm, tentative but deliberate. "Anne—"
"Don't," I said softly, stepping back. My fingers found the edge of the desk for support. "I appreciate what you did back there, I really do, but I need to focus on my job, Riccardo. We shouldn't be doing any of this."
He froze. I could almost hear the disbelief in his silence. No one probably ever said no to Riccardo Antonelli. Not like that.
His lips parted as if to speak, but I didn't give him the chance. I turned and walked out before I could second-guess myself. My chest felt tight, my pulse unsteady, and all I could think was that I needed air.
I headed for the elevator quicker than I have ever done before, and in a few minutes I was on the ground floor and strutting towards the exit. The moment I stepped outside the building, the cool breeze hit me, and for a moment I felt a bit relaxed. I wasn't used to that type of drama, and I wasn't even sure why I was in it. I barely knew Riccardo, and the other lady I didn't know at all. She was quick to attack me the moment she caught a glance of how cozy Riccardo and I had been, so it was safe to assume that they probably had some sort of affair going on.
I took a deep breath to calm my mind and gather my thoughts. It was best to give the entire thing a rest, I needed to concentrate on work, and leave all of this out of my mind. It was for the best—
I hadn't completed my thoughts when Clara's voice cut through the silence.
"Well, well… look who decided to come out."
I turned and we immediately locked eyes. She was standing by the side of the pavement, clearly irritated. She clearly had no shame, that much was obvious to me now. Anybody who had gotten thrown out that way would probably never want to be seen within the premises. But for some reason she had stuck around, and for what?
"Clara, I don't want any trouble—"
The words barely left my mouth before her hand flew across my face. The sound echoed, sharp and humiliating. For a split second, my world blurred, and I felt something in me snap.
Without thinking, I lifted my hand and returned the slap—harder, sharper. The impact made her stumble slightly, her eyes widening in shock.
"Don't you ever play with me like that again," I warned, my voice steady despite the adrenaline rushing through me. "I don't know who you think you are, or what is wrong with you, but you'll learn to know your boundaries, or I'd be forced to teach you!"
Her mouth opened, ready to retort, but I didn't give her the satisfaction. I turned and walked away, my palm still tingling from the force, my heart pounding with something that felt like both fear… and power.
I had wanted to be the bigger person, to turn and leave like I always did. But girls like Clara didn't deserve that much respect. To make sure that she understood me, I knew I had to show her that I was equally as mad as she worse, and possibly worse.