Secretly A Billionaire: His Ex Wife Regret

Four

Cassio's and Silvia's SUV disappeared down the tortuous road, leaving Milena and Bruno eating its dust of humiliation. Milena wiped the last of her tears and turned to Bruno, who was kicking the crushed remains of his car in frustration.

"Don't let it get to you," Bruno grumbled, throwing his arms in the air. "That whole charade back there was obviously staged. Who drives a '€10 million SUV' around and wastes their time with us? It's a bluff. A pathetic one."

Milena hesitated but nodded slowly. “You’re right. It has to be. Cassio must’ve done this to make me regret leaving him.” She straightened her posture, forcing a smile. “But it won’t work. He’s probably drowning in debt, and that flashy woman—what’s her name? Silvia?—was probably hired to play along.”

Bruno smirked. “Exactly. They’re desperate, trying to act high and mighty to fool us. But you’re smarter than that, babe.”

She clung to the words as relief settled in. "Yeah, I'm smarter than that. Now we really can start building our life together. Poor, boring Cassio is in the past. It's just us… and a bright future."

Bruno turned to look at the remains of his car. "Uh… once I get this sorted out."

They laughed awkwardly, their denial protecting them from the sting of their earlier humiliation.

END

Meanwhile, Cassio stepped into the nondescript delivery company he'd been working at for the latter half of a year. Thinner than thin smells of motor oil and cold coffee wafted in the air. Approaching the manager's office, his coworkers-several stout men standing around the dispatch counter-turned to him.

"Well, well, well! Look who's here!" called out Tommaso, self-elected leader of their group, a smirk playing across his lips. "Mr. Deliveryman himself, fresh from his rounds. What brings you here, Moretti? Finally realize this isn't your dream job?"

Cassio paused momentarily as he said, "I'm here to submit my resignation."

The room was silent for a moment before it erupted in peals of laughter.

Tommaso slapped the counter. “Resignation? Oh, let me guess—you’ve saved enough to retire? Planning to buy yourself a castle with all those tips from delivering pizzas?”

The men around him roared with laughter, one of them chiming in, “Or maybe he’s getting promoted to head delivery boy!”

Cassio remained calm, his voice steady. “I’ve decided to move on. That’s all.”

"On to what?" Tommaso insisted, crossing his arms. "A better-paying delivery gig? Or are you now going to start your own delivery empire?"

Cassio didn't bat an eye at Tommaso's stare. "My reasons are my own, Tommaso. I don't need to explain them to you."

Tommaso snorted, leaning against the counter. "Ah, come on, don't be so serious. We're only teasing you. But seriously, Moretti, don't kid yourself. People like us don't just 'move on.' This job is about the best thing that is going to happen to people in our position. You're better off sticking around and making an honest wage."

Another colleague, Paolo, followed with: "Yeah, don't get ideas above your station. Hard work's all we've got."

Silvia, who had followed Cassio into the building, was leaning casually against the wall, her eyes narrowed at the exchange. She let it go.

"And what, pray tell, would you know about 'ideas above your station'?" she asked, her voice sharp and icy.

They turned to her, filled with surprise. Tommaso frowned. "Who's this? Your girlfriend, Moretti? She looks like she's supposed to be on the front of some magazine, not here."

Silvia wore a wry smile. "Flattery, but no. I'm his personal assistant. And I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation. Let me set the record straight—Cassio Moretti isn't in your league. He never was.".

They turned to each other, looking confused. Tommaso raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? He's just a delivery guy like the rest of us."

Silvia took a step closer, heels clacking against the floor. "Is he? You have any idea who you've been working with? Cassio Moretti is the former Lord of Castello Diadem, a man who once led armies and secured the borders of Diatora. He didn't take this job because he needed the money. He took it because he wanted a break from the world you can't even dream of entering.".

The room was in a state of utter disbelief, with everybody staring in stunned silence.

Tommaso sneered, taken aback with incomprehensible confidence. "You have got to be joking."

Silvia showed him a picture of Cassio fully dressed in military apparel with several other soldiers standing perfectly aligned behind him. "Does that look like a joke to you?"

Paolo's mouth was agape. "No way.

Smiling serenely, Cassio said to the company, "I took this job in order to know the simple life. But it's time for me to leave."

The bravado of Tommaso buckled, stuttering, "We… we didn't know. If we had —"

"It wouldn't have mattered," Cassio interjected, his tone unbending. "I have always treated you as my equal. It is a pity you could never do the same for me."

Silvia smiled again. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Cassio has much more important things to attend to. Goodbye, gentlemen. Enjoy your decent life."

With that, Cassio turned and began a leisurely walk toward the manager's office, leaving his speechless colleagues staring after him. Silvia followed, her head high.

As they left the building, Silvia turned to Cassio. "Do you ever get tired of proving people wrong?

Cassio couldn't help but crack a small smile. "It is not about proving them wrong, it is about being true to myself."

Silvia nodded even deeper in respect toward him. "Well, wherever you go next, you do just that-and they will regret underestimating you."

Cassio didn't say one word, but his determined stare said it all. A new chapter was waiting at his door, and he was ready.

Cassio didn't bat an eye, surrounded as he was by catcalls from men that filled the cramped, cluttered office. Wordless, he began to gather his belongings-a scarred notebook, a flask, and a few personal artifacts. Every gesture was slow, as if the catcalls were beneath his notice.

He was leaning against the counter, smirking as he watched. "Packing up already, Moretti? Don't forget to leave the uniform. Might be worth something to the next guy."

The other coworker, Marco, suddenly burst out laughing. "Yeah, maybe you can sell it for scrap! Every penny counts when you're out of a job."

Cassio zipped up without looking up. "You ought to save your jokes, Marco. You're going to need them for another week here.

The veiled jab left Marco silent for the moment, but not Tommaso. "Oh, look at him, all stoic and untouchable. You think you're too good for us, Moretti? Let me tell you something—"

"Let me tell you something," an icy, commanding voice sliced through the air, silent except for the sound of that one voice.

Every head in the room turned to Vittoria Lombardi-the CEO of the company-as she stood framed in the doorway: sharply cut suit to match her mouth, perfectly coiffed hair exuding power, cold eyes that seemed to sweep over the group like a hawk sizing up its prey.

"Mr. Tommaso," Vittoria said low but laced with menace, "am I to understand that I just heard you demean one of my employees?"

Tommaso snapped upright, his smirk evaporating. "N-No, Ms. Lombardi. We were just teasing. You know, office banter—"

"Silence." That said it all. She stepped further into the room, her heels clicking ominously against the floor.

Employees parted like the Red Sea as Vittoria went right to Cassio, features softening. "Mr. Moretti," she said, courtesy dripping from her voice, "I hear you're leaving us.

Cassio bowed his head. "Yes, Ms. Lombardi. Grateful for the opportunity, but time for me to be off, now."

A soft smile crossed her lips. "You have been a model employee, even for a position so well beneath your capabilities. I will make sure that your presence among us is remembered. Your professionalism has been unmatched.

The room gasped collectively. Tommaso and Marco exchanged wide-eyed glances, suddenly unsure of everything they thought they knew about Cassio.

"Grazie, Ms. Lombardi," said Cassio simply.

Vittoria turned back to the group, her expression hardening again. “As for the rest of you…” She paused, letting the tension build. “I’m implementing a company-wide pay cut. Effective immediately.”

The room exploded with protests.

“What?!” Marco blurted. “You can’t be serious!”

"Ridiculous!" another voice added.

Tommaso looked like he was about to panic. "Ms. Lombardi, why would you—"

"I said silence!" Vittoria's voice cut the air once more this time deadening. She turned to the group, scolding her eyes. "Consider it a punishment for the unprofessional behavior of yours. Maybe it will teach you a bit of humility."

"But." Tommaso started to stutter, "why isn't Moretti affected?

Vittoria's frozen glance slapped him. "Mr. Moretti has conducted himself with dignity and respect-qualities sorely lacking in this office. He deserves better than to be surrounded by your kind. If you had half his integrity, you wouldn't be in this position."

The room was silent; faces reflected shame, incredulity.

Vittoria turned back to Cassio, soft once more. "Mr. Moretti, should you ever change your mind, my door shall always be open."

"Thanks," Cassio said with a nod of courtesy.

As Vittoria turned to go, she stopped in the doorway. "And Mr. Tommaso?"

Tommaso jumped. "Y-Yes, ma'am?"

"I will be watching your productivity, especially. Pray that I do not find further reasons to cut costs."

With that, she was gone, leaving the room in pole-axed silence.

Cassio picked up his case, cast a glance over his colleagues, and with a simplicity that he knew would hurt, said: "Good luck," then turned and walked out of the room, leaving them to stew in the mess they had created.

Outside, Silvia was casually leaning against the SUV door. "That was… interesting," she said, smirking.

Cassio let out a tired sigh as he climbed into the passenger seat. "It's over. Let's go."

Silvia slid into the driver's seat; the smirk softened to a smile. "You handled that well. Not many people would have kept so much composure."

Cassio looked out of the window as the SUV pulled away. "There's no point sinking to their level. They will work it out eventually."

Silvia's eyes shone bright with admiration. "You really are one of a kind, Cassio Moretti."

He didn't say anything to that, but the ghost of a smile brushed his lips as they drove toward his next chapter.