Mafia's Second Chance Love

Chapter 5: Untangling the Web

Kira returned to work at SafeHaven with renewed determination. Her days were filled with organizing the upcoming charity event, making phone calls to potential donors, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Even amidst her busy schedule, she managed to check up on Claudia and her son, providing them with the support and assistance they needed to rebuild their lives.

As the days passed, Kira couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Mr. Harrington's presence at the office had become increasingly erratic. He would arrive each morning, his face etched with stress, and disappear into his office without so much as a greeting. The atmosphere around the office had become tense, and the staff whispered about the mounting pressure on their CEO.

One day, as Kira was engrossed in her work, Mr. Harrington's assistant appeared at her desk, her voice trembling with apprehension. "Mr. Harrington requests your presence in his office, Kira. It's urgent."

With a heavy sigh, Kira rose from her desk and made her way to Mr. Harrington's office. She didn't relish the idea of another confrontation with him, especially when she had so much work to do for the charity event. But duty called, and she couldn't ignore it.

As I entered his office, I found Mr. Harrington was pacing back and forth, his face flushed with frustration. He didn't waste any time and immediately launched into a heated tirade.

"Kira, we need that sponsor for the charity event, and I've found one'. My eyes widened. Since when did Mr. Harrington ever got in the field to find anything or do anything? Except from welcoming the families and giving them a tour of the place, he hardly did anything else, let alone something so major!

'Okay..? Did something happen? This is very sudden. I've been searching for two weeks now for a sponsor and you magically have one?' My questions seemed to only agitate him more. He was looking at me both with anger and guilt.

'I know you are responsible for the event. I trust you with the organisation more than anyone here. But you need to trust me on this one too.' His voice had a sense of urgency I couldn't ignore. How much money did he lose?

'Who is the sponsor?' I asked. I was brave in looking for a direct answer, but nothing prepared me for it. As soon as I heard his name, my legs almost gave up on me. It's only because I've learned to mask my emotions well that I did not end up on the floor.

'Ace Sullivan.' His name rang in my head like an alarm. I could hear my heart pounding. My mind raced as I processed the name Mr. Harrington had just uttered.

Ace Sullivan. The same Ace I had known years ago, the one I had tried so hard to leave behind in my past.

I couldn't let Mr. Harrington see the turmoil churning within me. Maintaining my composure, I feigned ignorance. "Ace Sullivan? I've heard of him, but isn't he involved in some questionable activities? I've heard rumors about his ties to the mafia."

This can't be happening. It's almost like I'm on the verge of having a panic attack.

Mr. Harrington's face contorted with frustration, and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Kira, those are just rumors. The man is a renowned philanthropist. He offered to sponsor our charity event generously. This could be a game-changer for SafeHaven. We can't afford to turn him away based on unfounded rumors."

Renowned philanthropist?! I know the media loves him, but what about the Sullivan family business? Driving thousands of people every day to their death?

I bit my lip, struggling to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't reveal my history with Ace, not to Mr. Harrington or anyone else. The less people knew about that part of my past, the better.

"Mr. Harrington," I began cautiously, "I understand your concerns, but you must understand mine as well. It's my responsibility to ensure the safety and reputation of SafeHaven. If there's even a hint of impropriety surrounding our sponsor, it could have severe consequences for the organization."

Mr. Harrington's frustration deepened, and he clenched his fists.

I continued, pressing the point. "A single scandal could be our downfall.''

What if the media discovers Ace's past? I'm not convinced he's severed ties with the underworld. That would put the families here at risk.

''Our organization is minuscule compared to his reach. Why the sudden interest?" My last question seemed to pinch a nerve. Harrington's voice was raised at me.

"Kira, I've already made the decision. Ace Sullivan is the sponsor, and that's final. You'll have to find a way to make this work."

I knew I had to tread carefully, but I also couldn't let Ace Sullivan's involvement go unquestioned. "May I ask where you met Mr. Sullivan and how this arrangement came about?" My boss doesn't know, but I'm aware of his demons. I know he gambles his family's money as well as the organization's. If it weren't for donations, we would have been closed a long time ago.

Mr. Harrington hesitated for a moment, then offered a somewhat hesitant explanation. "I... happened to meet him at a social event. We got to talking, and when he heard about our charity event, he expressed a genuine interest in helping. Kira, you have to trust my judgment on this."

'There's no out of this?' My final question was laced with disappointment. I know there is nothing to do. Harrington looks determined. He shook his head in denial, signalling the end of our conversation. I started walking away when he said his last words.

'You can take the rest of the day off.'

Glancing at my watch, I realized it was already 6 p.m. I should have left at 4 p.m. but had stayed late to work on the event. Now, all I wanted was to go home, lie on my bed, and escape my racing thoughts.

As I traveled home, Mr. Harrington's explanation continued to gnaw at me, festering like an unhealed wound. It all felt too orchestrated, too perfectly timed. My gut told me there was more to this story than met the eye, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Turning to the one person I could trust implicitly, I decided to seek answers from Ethan.

I changed buses, heading to Ethan's apartment, my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. Ethan had always been a staunch ally, my confidant and partner in deciphering the truth. He was more than just a friend; he was my anchor in a world fraught with secrets and uncertainties.

Arriving at his doorstep, I didn't bother with formalities. I knocked, and Ethan opened the door, his face bathed in the bluish glow of multiple computer screens. His shaggy hair, unruly as ever, framed his face.

''Kira," he greeted me with a nod, stepping aside to let me in. "Too early to be here, don't you think?"

I stepped inside and prepared coffee both for him and me, as he continued working. I'm grateful he didn't pressure me into saying what I think. He always gives me time to process my thoughts.

''You have a lot of work to finish?'' I inquired. I don't want to trouble him all the time. He has his own work to deal with.

'Mmm.. Not much. A client wants to track down his wife in Prague. He suspects she has been cheating on him.' His voice was low and uninterested. It's not always simple and legal but he is damn good at what he does. ''You look like shi t.'' He admitted and I smiled. Maybe spending too much time around computers had an effect on his kindness. But I prefer it that way over comforting lies.

Multiple computer monitors sat atop the desk, their screens flickering with lines of code and surveillance footage. The ambient bluish glow from the screens cast an eerie, almost ethereal light over the room, giving it a cyberpunk aesthetic.

A cluttered bulletin board adorned one wall, covered in post-it notes, pinned newspaper clippings, and photographs of past investigative targets. It was a visual representation of Ethan's analytical mind at work, where every piece of information was meticulously cataloged for future reference.

''There it is! See that?'' He pointed at the screen. A woman was walking on a cobblestone road hand in hand with someone else smiling and kissing.

''I'm guessing that man is not your client?''

''Bingo!'' Ethan exclaimed. He wrapped up the evidence and sent it back to his client. Not only CCTC footage of the woman and her lover but receipts of restaurants they have been and photographs of them sitting together. That is impressive. 'I'm all yours. What's up?'

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to clear my mind before I spoke. "Ethan, you won't believe what just happened at work." I paused, gauging his reaction, but his expression remained attentive, waiting for me to continue.

"It's about the charity event I'm organizing for SafeHaven," I began, my voice lowered as if sharing a well-guarded secret. "Mr. Harrington told me he found a sponsor for the event."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, his fingers dancing across the keyboard, ready to record any details I provided. "That sounds like a good thing, right? Isn't finding a sponsor what you've been working so hard for?"

I nodded, the worry in my eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. "It would be, but... The sponsor he found is none other than Ace Sullivan." Even saying his name out loud brings shivers down my spine. I can't believe after all these years I've said his name again.

Ethan's fingers froze on the keyboard, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Ace Sullivan?" He repeated the name, as if to confirm he'd heard correctly. "As in, the infamous Ace Sullivan?"

"Yes," I confirmed, my voice barely above a whisper. "The same one."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, his fingers intertwined behind his head as he processed the revelation. ''No...'' he simply mumbled, perfectly resembling my thoughts. ''Are you okay?''

I nodded once again and gave him a tired smile. ''I can't say I was ecstatic about it. I tried to disagree, but Harrington was awfully persistent. I felt like I was going to faint!'' Ethan was looking at me with puppy eyes. He is the only one that knows about my past. He knows how important this is.

"I can't let Ace Sullivan back into my life," I said firmly. "I've worked hard to leave that part of my past behind.'' Ethan's eyes glimmered, hinting that he thought of something.

''What if we find some dirt on him and release it to the media?'' His voice was low and full of guilt. He already knew the answer.

''No. We stay away from Ace.'' My voice came out colder than I intended. Ethan understood. No matter what Ace did, I can't bring my head around to even do something that might hurt him.

''How did he even find Harrington? Ace and he are living in two completely different worlds.'' Ethan was speaking his thoughts out loud. A thought that I also made..

"You're right, Ethan. Ace and Harrington moving in the same circles is highly unusual. There must be something more to this than meets the eye. We need to find out how they crossed paths."

Ethan nodded in understanding, his eyes reflecting the same determination that had always driven us. He started furiously typing on his keyboard. A minute passed and the thought of Ace entering my life again started suffocating me. It all came back. The town I once lived in, the school, the bullying, Ace and I... Ace...

'I think I found something.' Ethan exclaimed, breaking me out of my thoughts. He turned the monitor toward me, revealing grainy footage from a surveillance camera in a dimly lit underground gambling den. It was hard to make out the details, but I could clearly see Mr. Harrington talking to someone that had his back turned to the camera.

''It's him. It's Ace!'' Ethan looked at me puzzled. Almost like he couldn't believe we were looking at Ace. '''I would recognise his towering back even if I had a million more to look at. It's Ace.'' Ethan only let a smirk escape his lips. He knew..

''There's no sound unfortunately. But at least now we know where they met. Your boss was gambling as always and Ace appeared. But how the deal of Ace being the sponsor came about is still not clear.''

Ethan's fingers danced across the keyboard as he tried to enhance the footage. He zoomed in on the figures, focusing on their body language and any potential clues that might have been captured by the surveillance camera.

I watched the screen intently, my heart pounding in my chest. The sight of Ace, even from behind, sent a shiver down my spine. Memories from the past resurfaced, memories I had tried so hard to bury. But here he was, intertwined with my present, and I couldn't escape it.

Ethan's efforts paid off as he managed to sharpen the image slightly. It was unmistakably Ace Sullivan, and my boss, Mr. Harrington, engaged in a tense conversation. I strained my eyes, trying to decipher their gestures and expressions.

"It's definitely them," I whispered, my voice tinged with both disbelief and anxiety. "But you're right, Ethan. Without audio, we can't be sure about the details of their conversation. We need more information."

Ethan nodded, his expression serious. "Agreed. We'll keep digging and see if we can find any other leads. There has to be a connection between Ace and Harrington that goes beyond a chance meeting in a gambling den."

As we continued to analyze the footage, I couldn't help but wonder about the circumstances that had brought Ace into my life again. It was as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, weaving our paths together once more. But this time, I was determined to uncover the truth, no matter where it led, and protect SafeHaven from any potential harm that might come with Ace's involvement...