I've worked since I was 16. I've served people who don't remember my face, and I've smiled through more insults than I can count. I didn't blackmail anyone. I didn't lie. All I did was say no to a girl who thought she could buy respect, and I won't apologize for that."
The silence afterward felt heavy, electric. Marco gave her a small nod. Luca ended the stream. "It's out there." He said quietly.
"And it's spreading fast." An hour later, the city had seen it. The full diner footage, the uncropped video of Olivia's cruelty, the audio of Bennett ordering his aides to make the girl disappear. Every message, every lie, every mask ripped away. News outlets scrambled.
Commentators reversed sides. Hashtags flipped again. Justice for Lisa trended worldwide. Lisa sat by the window, stunned, watching her own face on TV. "It's really over."
She whispered. Marco stood behind her, phone in hand. ""Not yet."" He ended a call and slipped the phone into his pocket. "Bennett's resigning by morning." Lisa turned. "You planned this from the start.
He met her gaze evenly. I planned to win. She gave a shaky laugh. You're impossible. He smiled faintly.
And you're free. The words hit her harder than she expected. Free. She hadn't realized how heavy it had been until now. She looked at him for a long time, the man who had turned her world upside down, and said softly, What happens to us now?
He tilted his head. Us. She nodded. You said I was yours. What does that mean when the war's over?
Marco walked closer, stopping right in front of her. The light from the window cut across his face, sharp lines of shadow and gold. It means the same thing it meant before the war started. Her voice trembled. Which is?
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It means you don't serve anyone again. Her heart skipped. That's not an answer. His eyes softened.
The rare kind of softness that only appeared when he looked at her. It means I want you beside me. No hiding, no shame, no more pretending you're small. She swallowed. And if I say yes?
He smiled, slow and dangerous. Then I stop pretending I can live without you. Lisa stared at him, unable to breathe. "And if I say no?" His thumb traced her jaw.
Then I wait until you change your mind. She tried to laugh, but tears came instead. You're impossible. He brushed them away with his thumb. And you're the first thing in my life that isn't negotiable.