THE MAFIA’S PRIDE

Claimed

Vivian POV

After breakfast, we both stood and made our way toward the living room.

I had barely taken two steps when I felt Damien’s hand wrap around mine.

I stopped and slowly turned to face him.

He held my gaze for a long moment before speaking.

“Listen to me carefully.”

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

“From today onward…”

His fingers tightened around mine ever so slightly.

“…I don’t want another man touching you.”

My heart stopped.

He frowned, almost as if he didn’t understand why those words had just left his mouth.

“If someone has something to say to you, they can say it without putting their hands on you.”

His eyes never left mine.

“And if any man starts getting the wrong idea…”

He took one step closer.

“…make sure he understands you’re unavailable.”

I could only stare at him.

He looked just as confused as I felt.

“I don’t know why I’m saying this,” he admitted quietly. “I just know I don’t like the thought of another man thinking he has a chance with you.”

A smile found its way onto my lips before I could stop it.

“So…” I said softly. “You’re jealous?”

Damien studied me for a moment before answering.

“Call it whatever you want,” he said.

My smile widened.

“You don’t even remember me,” I reminded him.

“No,” Damien admitted.

“Then why do you care?” I asked.

He took a slow step toward me.

“Because I don’t like another man thinking he has access to you,” Damien said.

My heart skipped.

“You said someone from work is picking you up?” Damien asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “A colleague.”

“Male?” Damien asked.

“…Yes,” I answered.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

“Cancel it,” Damien said.

I blinked.

“Damien…” I protested.

“Cancel it, Vivian,” Damien repeated.

His voice remained calm.

But it wasn’t a request.

“I’ll take you.”

“You have a meeting,” I reminded him.

“It can wait,” Damien replied.

“You don’t even know where I work,” I said.

“You’ll show me,” Damien answered.

I stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re impossible,” I muttered.

“Maybe,” Damien said with the faintest hint of a smile.

His eyes dropped to the phone in my hand.

“Call him,” Damien said.

I let out a quiet sigh before unlocking my phone.

After the second ring, my colleague answered.

“Morning, Vivian,” he said.

“Good morning,” I replied. “I’m sorry, but you don’t have to come and pick me up anymore.”

There was a brief pause.

“Oh? Did your car get fixed already?” my colleague asked.

“Not exactly,” I answered. “I’ll be getting a ride instead.”

“No problem,” he replied warmly. “I’ll see you at the office.”

“See you,” I said before ending the call.

I slipped my phone back into my handbag.

“Done,” I said, looking at Damien.

He gave a single nod.

“Good,” Damien said.

Without another word, he took my handbag from my shoulder as though it naturally belonged in his hand.

“Damien…” I called.

“Let’s go,” Damien said.

…

Less than thirty minutes later, the black Rolls-Royce came to a smooth stop outside the newsroom.

Damien stepped out first before walking around to my side and opening the door.

I climbed out of the car and looked at him.

He handed me my handbag.

“I’ll pick you up this evening,” Damien said.

“You don’t have to,” I replied instinctively.

“I wasn’t asking,” Damien said.

For some reason…

That simple sentence made my heart race.

“Okay,” I said with a smile.

“Have a good day, Vivian,” Damien said.

“You too, Damien,” I replied before turning toward the newsroom.

I pushed the glass doors open and stepped into the newsroom.

The familiar buzz of ringing phones, clicking keyboards, and hurried conversations welcomed me back.

For the first time in days…

Life almost felt normal.

“Morning, Vivian,” Sarah said as she walked past my desk.

“Morning,” I replied with a smile.

Ethan looked up from his computer.

“You’re late.”

I glanced at the clock.

“By seven minutes.”

“Late is late,” Ethan said with a grin.

I laughed as I placed my handbag on my desk.

Just as I switched on my laptop, my phone vibrated.

A message from Damien.

Text message

Let me know if you need anything

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.

“Something must have happened,” Sarah said, folding her arms.

“What makes you say that?” I asked, locking my phone.

“Because you’ve been smiling at that screen for the past ten seconds.”

“It’s nothing,” I replied.

“Hmm…” Sarah said suspiciously before walking away.

The next two hours passed in a blur.

I edited articles, attended the morning briefing, and helped fact-check a political feature due for publication that evening.

Just as I finished saving my work, my editor walked toward our section.

“Everyone,” he called.

The newsroom gradually fell silent.

“I’ve just received confirmation from the DeLuca Group.”

Several reporters immediately looked up.

“They’ve agreed to give us access to their headquarters for a feature on their latest international expansion.”

A few excited murmurs spread through the room.

“I’ll be sending a team,” my editor continued.

He looked down at the list in his hand.

“Sarah.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah answered.

“Ethan.”

“I’m in,” Ethan said.

“Daniel.”

Daniel nodded.

Then my editor looked up.

“Vivian.”

I blinked.

“Sir?”

“You’re going with them.”

I exchanged a quick glance with Sarah.

“We leave in twenty minutes,” my editor said. “Take whatever equipment you need. I want a clean, professional feature before the end of the week.”

“Understood,” we answered almost at the same time.

As everyone began gathering their things, Sarah linked her arm through mine.

“I’ve heard Damien DeLuca is ridiculously handsome,” Sarah whispered.

Ethan chuckled as he slung a camera bag over his shoulder.

“Forget handsome,” Ethan said. “Do you know how hard it is to get into that building? We’re lucky they’re even letting us in.”

I smiled to myself.

If only they knew…

I had breakfast with him less than three hours ago.

Twenty minutes later…

The team and I arrived at the DeLuca Group headquarters.

After checking in at the reception, we were issued visitor passes before an employee escorted us to the executive floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, I understood why the DeLuca Group was one of the most powerful companies in the country.

The entire floor was quiet.

Employees moved with purpose, speaking only when necessary.

No one lingered.

No one wasted time.

“Please wait here,” the communications manager said as she opened the conference room door for the rest of my team.

“We’ll begin shortly.”

Just as I was about to follow them, another employee approached.

“Miss Carter?”

“Yes?” I replied.

“Mr. DeLuca would like to see you before the briefing.”

My heartbeat quickened.

“I’ll be right back,” I told my team.

Sarah smiled.

“We’ll save you a seat.”

I nodded before following the employee down the hallway.

She stopped outside a pair of black double doors.

“Mr. DeLuca’s office,” she said before quietly walking away.

I took a slow breath and raised my hand to knock.

“Come in,” a woman’s voice said from inside.

I frowned.

A woman?

Then I quickly shook the thought away.

Of course there would be women working here.

I turned the handle and stepped inside.

The sight that greeted me made my steps falter.

Damien stood behind his desk, his attention fixed on a laptop and several documents spread before him.

Standing beside him was a young woman, dressed in a fitted white blouse and a black pencil skirt.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, exposing more cleavage than I thought was appropriate for a workplace.

Her skirt hugged her figure, ending well above her knees.

She stood far too close to Damien for my liking.

What exactly was she trying to achieve?

Before I could stop myself, my eyes drifted to Damien.

He hadn’t even looked at her.

His attention remained on the document in his hand until he sensed my presence.

He lifted his head.

The moment our eyes met, his expression softened almost imperceptibly.

Without another glance at the woman, he closed the file in front of him and walked toward me.

“You’re here,” Damien said.

“I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?” I asked.

“No,” Damien replied. “You arrived right on time.”

The woman standing beside his desk looked between the two of us, surprise flickering across her face.

“You may leave,” Damien said.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of emotion in his voice.

“Yes, Mr. DeLuca,” the secretary replied before quietly leaving the office, closing the door behind her.

Silence settled between us.

I couldn’t help glancing toward the door she had just walked through.

“Something bothering you?” Damien asked.

I looked back at him.

“No,” I lied.

He held my gaze for a few seconds before the corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Damien said.

Heat crept up my cheeks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, as though trying to read every thought running through my mind.

After a brief silence, I spoke again.

“She seems… close to you.”

Damien frowned.

“She’s my secretary,” Damien replied.

“That’s all?” I asked before I could stop myself.

His frown deepened.

“Should there be more?” Damien asked.

I immediately looked away.

“No.”

He took a slow step toward me.

“You don’t like other women standing near me?” Damien asked.

My heart stumbled.

“I didn’t say that,” I muttered.

“You didn’t have to,” Damien said.

Before I could think of a response, he closed the remaining distance between us.

His hand slowly rose to my face.

My breath caught as his fingers gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from my cheek before tucking it behind my ear.

“Look at me,” Damien said quietly.

I slowly lifted my eyes to his.

For a long moment…

He simply looked at me.

Then he spoke.

“The only woman I notice when she walks into a room…”

He paused, almost as though the words surprised even him.

“…is you.”

Everything around me seemed to disappear.

It was just him.

His eyes.

His voice.

His hand still resting lightly against my face.

Before I realized what was happening, he leaned forward.

His lips met mine.

The kiss was nothing like the one we had shared the previous night.

There was no hesitation.

No confusion.

It was slow.

Gentle.

Reassuring.

It felt as though he was trying to tell me something his memories couldn’t.

That I had nothing to fear.

That I didn’t need to compete with anyone.

Without realizing it, my fingers curled around the front of his suit jacket as I kissed him back.

Reluctantly, I pulled away, my face burning.

“Someone might come in,” I whispered.

Damien didn’t move.

“Then they’ll come in,” Damien said calmly.

My cheeks grew even warmer.

He rested his forehead lightly against mine.

“I’m not hiding you,” Damien said.

My heart skipped so hard I was sure he could hear it.

He lowered his hand from my face and intertwined our fingers.

“Come with me,” Damien said.

Without waiting for a response, he led me toward the door.

The moment we stepped out of his office, conversations across the executive floor died almost instantly.

Employees stopped what they were doing.

Some looked up in surprise.

Others immediately lowered their heads the moment Damien’s eyes swept across the room.

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to question him.

Yet I could feel every gaze following us.

Damien, however, walked as though we were the only two people in the building.

His grip on my hand never loosened.

He wasn’t embarrassed.

He wasn’t hesitant.

He wasn’t trying to explain anything.

He simply held my hand as though it was exactly where it belonged.

He simply held my hand as though it was exactly where it belonged.

Ignoring the curious stares around us, Damien led me toward the private elevator.

The doors slid open almost immediately.

We stepped inside, and the doors closed behind us.

Neither of us spoke.

His hand never left mine.

A few moments later, the elevator came to a stop.

We walked through the lobby together before stepping outside the headquarters.

Waiting by the entrance was Marcus.

The moment he saw Damien, he straightened.

“Sir,” Marcus greeted respectfully.

Damien gave a slight nod before releasing my hand for the first time.

He extended his hand toward Marcus.

Marcus immediately understood and placed a key fob in Damien’s palm.

I frowned.

Before I could ask what was going on, Damien turned to me and held the key out.

“For you,” Damien said.

I looked from the key to him in confusion.

“What is it?” I asked.

Instead of answering, Damien nodded toward the parking area.

I followed his gaze.

Parked a few feet away was a brand-new black Mercedes-Maybach, its paint gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.

My eyes widened.

“Damien…”

“It’s yours,” Damien said.

I looked back at him, certain I had heard him wrong.

“What?”

“You’ll be driving it from today,” Damien replied.

I shook my head almost immediately.

“I can’t accept something this expensive.”

“You can,” Damien said.

“No, Damien. It’s too much.”

“I wasn’t asking whether you wanted it.”

His calm tone left no room for negotiation.

“It belongs to you now.”

I stared at the key resting in his hand.

A smile threatened to escape, but I quickly pressed my lips together.

“You like it,” Damien said.

“I never said that,” I replied.

He looked at me for a second before a faint smile touched his lips.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

A laugh escaped me.

Before I could think twice, I stepped forward and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek.

The smile disappeared from my face the instant I realized what I had done.

For the first time…

Damien looked genuinely caught off guard.

Marcus politely looked away as though he hadn’t seen a thing.

Damien cleared his throat before turning to him.

“Marcus.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Assign four men to Miss Carter.”

Marcus nodded without hesitation.

“Twenty-four-hour protection?”

“Twenty-four-hour protection,” Damien confirmed.

I stared at him.

“Damien, four bodyguards?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that a little excessive?” I asked.

“No.”

“People are going to think I’m some kind of celebrity.”

“I don’t care what people think,” Damien said.

I searched his face.

He held my gaze for a long moment before speaking again.

“I don’t intend to lose you twice.”

My heart stopped.