Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

***The Crumbling Empire***

Another client walks out. Third this week.

Marco sits at his desk. Watches the elevator doors close. The Chen Corporation. One of his biggest accounts. Gone.

Sandra's deal. Sandra's mess. Sandra's failure.

His phone rings. Investors. He ignores it. Knows what they want. Answers he doesn't have.

The company is bleeding. Clients leaving. Revenue dropping. Not dead yet. But dying.

Footsteps. Sandra appears. Bottle in hand. Vodka. Half empty.

She drinks straight from it.

"They left." Not a question.

"Yes."

"Good." Sandra takes another swig. "They were difficult anyway."

"They were profitable."

"So?" She shrugs. Unsteady. "We'll replace them."

"With what? You've destroyed half our accounts."

"I didn't destroy anything." Sandra's words slur. "Not my fault they're unreasonable."

"They're not unreasonable. Your contracts are terrible."

Sandra throws the bottle. It smashes against the wall. Glass everywhere. Vodka dripping.

"Stop blaming me!" She screams. "This company was already struggling."

"It was thriving when Lucia helped run it."

Silence. Cold. Deadly.

"Don't." Sandra's voice drops. "Don't say her name."

"Why? Because it's true?" Marco stands. "She brought in clients. Kept them. Grew revenue. You're doing the opposite."

"She got lucky."

"She was good. Better than you."

Sandra's face twists. "I'm leaving."

"You're drunk."

"So what?" She grabs her purse. "Better than being here with you."

"Go home. To Thomas."

"Thomas." Sandra spits it. "Perfect little Thomas with his constant questions. Drives me insane."

"He's six."

"He's irritating." Sandra stumbles toward the door. "Looking at me with those judgmental eyes."

"He's a child."

"He's annoying." Sandra reaches the elevator. "I'm going out. Don't wait up."

She leaves.

Marco sits in the broken office. Glass crunching under his feet. The smell of vodka sharp in the air.

This is his life now. Failing business. Drunk girlfriend. Everything collapsing.

The drive home is long. Every light red. Every mile heavy.

The house is dark except one upstairs light. Thomas's room.

Marco climbs the stairs. Music plays softly inside. A lullaby. Old. Familiar.

He pushes the door open.

Thomas sits on his bed. Shoulders shaking. Crying.

"Thomas?"

Thomas jumps. Wipes his eyes fast. "Papa."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." But his voice breaks.

Marco sits beside him. "Talk to me."

Thomas hesitates. Then whispers. "I miss Mama."

The name hits like a punch.

"What?"

"I miss her." Thomas's voice is small. Ashamed. "I know I was mean to her. Said bad things. Called her just Lucia. But I miss her."

Marco's throat closes. "Thomas."

"I remember." Fresh tears fall. "How she made pancakes shaped like dinosaurs. How she sang at bedtime. How she never yelled even when I was bad."

"You weren't bad."

"I was." Thomas sobs. "You told me to call Sandra mommy. To ignore Mama. To make her feel bad. And I did. I was so mean to her."

Truth. Ugly truth. Marco taught his son to hurt Lucia. Poisoned him against his own mother.

"Where's Sandra?"

"She went out." Thomas's voice drops. Scared. "She was mad earlier. Yelling. Threw a cup at the wall. Said I give her headaches."

"Did she hurt you?"

Thomas hesitates. Rolls up his sleeve. Bruises. Finger marks. Dark purple.

"She grabbed me. Said I need to learn to shut up."

Rage floods Marco. Hot. Violent.

"Pack a bag."

"What?"

"Pack. Now. You're not staying here tonight."

Thomas scrambles. Throws clothes in his backpack. A toy. A book.

They leave. Drive to a hotel. Nice one. Safe.

Thomas falls asleep fast. Exhausted.

Marco sits by the window. Stares at the city lights.

His company is failing. Sandra is violent. His son is bruised and broken.

All because he destroyed Lucia. The one person who held everything together.

He pulls out his phone. Opens social media. Types her name.

Lucia's profile appears. Professional. Beautiful. LUXÉA everywhere.

Photos of her at events. Smiling. Confident. Surrounded by admirers.

Videos of interviews. Her voice strong. Clear. Nothing like the broken whispers he remembers.

Comments flood every post.

"Lucia Monroe is incredible."

"LUXÉA changed my skin and my confidence."

"This woman is pure grace."

Grace. He told her she had none.

Marco scrolls. Finds photos of her with a man. Tall. Successful. And a little boy. Dark curly hair. Maybe six.

They look like a family. Happy. Complete.

Caption reads "Grateful for my people."

Her people. Not him. Not Thomas. Strangers.

She built a new life. Better than the one he destroyed.

"She was the heart of this family."

Marco says it out loud. Truth he denied.

Lucia made everything work. The home. The company. Thomas. Him.

And he threw it all away for Sandra. For nothing.

Thomas mumbles in sleep. "Sorry Mama. I'm sorry."

Even unconscious he apologizes. Carries guilt for what they did.

Marco looks at his phone again. At Lucia's smile. At her success. At the life she built without them.

She's happy. Thriving. Everything he said she'd never be.

But maybe he can fix this. Win her back. Make things right.

The thought takes root. Grows.

He notes LUXÉA's address. Downtown. Close.

He'll go when he is chanced. Apologize. Explain. Beg if necessary.

She'll understand. She always did. That was who she was. Forgiving. Kind.

He'll tell her about Sandra. About the company struggling. About realizing his mistake.

She'll come back. Has to. Because she loved him once. Love doesn't just disappear.

That man in the photos doesn't matter. The new life doesn't matter.

She belongs with her real family. Him. Thomas. Home.

Marco stands. Paces. Plans forming.

He'll win her back. Get her to return. Fix his company with her help. Make his family whole again.

She still cares. Must care. All those years together can't mean nothing.

He'll prove he's changed. That Sandra was a mistake. That he chooses Lucia now.

She'll forgive him. Because that's what Lucia does. Forgives. Heals. Fixes things.

Marco looks at Thomas sleeping. Small. Innocent. Damaged.

"I'll bring her back." He whispers. Promise. Vow. "I'll win her back. No matter what."