The Mafia Boss Is The Man Of My Dreams

Chapter 11

I was stunned—utterly, completely too stunned to speak or even move. Because tell me why on earth I was still standing frozen in that exact same parking spot minutes after Knight’s car had completely driven away.

I couldn’t tell if it was the raw, dizzying friction of our physical interaction that had left me entirely paralyzed, or if my brain was simply fried from how handsome he looked when he let his guard down and laughed. Right now, I was leaning heavily toward a toxic combination of both.

When I finally managed to snap back to my senses, I leaned my weight against the pillar behind me and scrolled through my phone—only to realize with a groan that he had deleted every single photo I had taken. Of course he did. He was thorough.

Still, despite the empty camera roll, I counted this little mission as an absolute win. He had said I made his day brighter. I had made a supposedly untouchable man crack a genuine laugh. If that wasn’t measurable progress, then I truly didn’t know what was.

I already couldn’t wait for the inevitable next time we would cross paths.

I dragged myself back up to the office l and buried my head in documents, letting the numbers distract me until the clock finally chimed for the end of the day. The exact second work hours concluded, I practically sprinted out of the building and dove into Jean’s waiting car.

“You will absolutely not believe what kind of miracle occurred today!” I practically screamed the second my body hit the passenger seat.

Jean rolled his eyes in fond exasperation before plastering a dramatic smile onto his face. “Alright, what chaos-worthy thing happened to you today, my dear friend?” he asked, shifting the car into gear and pulling out of the Saturn Finance parking lot.

“I am very glad you asked,” I said, leaning back against the headrest with a triumphant grin. “I found the mystery man’s name.”

Jean's eyes widened as he navigated the evening traffic. “This soon? How?”

I nodded proudly. “Conan didn’t make it all that difficult to extract, really.”

Jean shook his head, a chuckle escaping him. “You really are terrifyingly skillful when you put your mind to something.”

I gave a casual shrug. “His name is Knight. And to make the whole situation even better,” I dragged out the words for maximum effect, “I ran into him again today. Out in the wild.”

Jean let out a dry whistle. “Okay, this is officially giving cosmic fate or some s**t like that. The sheer level of coincidence in your life is getting entirely out of hand.”

“I made him laugh, Jean,” I said softly, my voice dropping as my mind drifted back to the breathtaking image of his smile. “He told me I made his day brighter. He might have a massive attitude and project a terrifying aura every single time I see him, but when he actually smiles? The man could pass for an absolute angel.”

“So,” Jean asked, a sudden spark of curiosity in his eyes, “did you actually manage to get his phone number or anything useful?”

I let out a defeated sigh. “Not yet. But the next time I corner him, I’m going to make it happen.”

When we finally pulled up to my building, Jean called out as I unbuckled my seatbelt, “By the way, I won’t be able to pick you up or drop you off tomorrow morning. I’ve got an off-site assignment outside the main office.”

I nodded, waving a quick goodbye as I stepped onto the pavement. “No worries. Guess I’m entirely on my own tomorrow, then.”

I walked straight into the apartment, kicked off my heels, and collapsed face-first onto my bed.

“Knight…” I mumbled into my pillow, replaying the texture of his voice and his rare laugh like a beautiful, broken tape.

I didn’t know exactly how long I lay there in the quiet of my room before my phone suddenly began to vibrate loudly. I frowned, staring down at the completely unknown number on the screen, but curiosity got the better of me and I answered it anyway. Which random stranger was trying to contact me at this hour?

The line stayed dead silent for a tense, heavy moment—until a familiar, slightly slurred voice broke through the static.

“It’s Conan.”

I immediately sat bolt upright on the mattress. “How exactly did you get my personal number, Conan?” I asked sharply.

He let out a low, humorless chuckle on the other end. “That doesn’t matter right now, Aria. I called because I desperately need to see you.”

“See me for what?” I countered, my defensive walls going up instantly.

“I’ll text you the location,” he whispered frantically, his voice sounding tight and strained. “Please, just come. I really need someone to talk to right now.”

The call abruptly disconnected, and seconds later, a text message pinged on my screen: Glaze Bar.

I stared at the address, my mind entering a fierce debate. He was my boss—I absolutely shouldn’t be seen drinking with him at a high-end lounge outside of office hours. It violated every rule of professionalism. But on the very hand, a highly intoxicated, vulnerable Conan might be infinitely easier to manipulate. He could be the key to unlocking everything I needed to know about Knight.

After carefully weighing the risks, I was already peeling off my loungewear and heading straight into a hot shower. A quick night out wouldn’t hurt… I hoped.

I was fully dressed and out the door in under thirty minutes. I chose a sleek pair of shorts, a mildly cropped top, fresh sneakers, and threw a casual jacket over my shoulder.

The Glaze Bar looked incredibly upscale—ridiculously fancy—which meant it was the perfect playground for someone with Conan’s inherited wealth. I walked through the velvet ropes without a second thought. I had work tomorrow, so I needed to get this meeting over with as fast as possible.

Soft, ambient music filled the dimly lit space, everyone completely lost in their own high-end worlds. A few lingering stares came my way as I strode through the lounge, and I met them with absolute confidence, even managing to playfully wink at a random guy at the counter before finally spotting Conan slumped over a VIP table in the back corner.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, I walked over to the booth.

“Conan,” I called out smoothly, slipping into the seat opposite him.

His glazed eyes lifted to meet mine, a slow, sloppy smile forming on his face. “You actually made it, Aria. I knew you would.”

I nodded, immediately scooting a little farther away as the heavy stench of expensive alcohol hit me. “You’re completely drunk.”

He shook his head aggressively. “Not yet,” he slurred, setting his empty glasa down on the table—and deliberately sliding closer to my side of the booth.

“Why exactly did you call me out here, Conan?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.

“Why did you actually choose to come?” he countered, his eyes roaming over my outfit.

I nearly rolled my eyes back into my head. “Because my literal livelihood and career are currently sitting in your hands.”

“I would never fire you, Aria. You're far too pretty,” he slurred, waving a dismissive hand.

Good to know.

“Why are you sitting here getting wasted completely alone?” I asked, deliberately softening my voice into a comforting tone to lower his guard. “Did something terrible happen at the office after I left?”

“It’s all because of that arrogant motherfucker,” he muttered bitterly, his fists clenching.

A triumphant smile formed on my face. Score.

“He seriously thinks his name is some grand, untouchable word that no one else should even dare mention in public,” Conan growled, slamming his palm on the table.

My eyes widened slightly. He was unmistakably referring to Knight. f**k.

Knight had warned me that whoever had spilled his identity would have a hell of a lot to answer for. Was this brutal drinking session the aftermath of that? And who exactly was Knight to get a rich heir like Conan this incredibly worked up over a mere name?

“How did he even find out that I told someone his name?” Conan continued, pouring himself another shot of whiskey. “The only person in that entire building I ever uttered it to was…”

He paused mid-sentence, his slurred words abruptly freezing. He slowly turned his head to look directly at me, his eyes narrowing as the alcohol haze briefly cleared.

“You.”

My heart instantly dropped straight into my stomach.

“I only ever mentioned his name in front of you, Aria,” he added, his voice dropping into a dark, accusatory register as he leaned heavily into my space.

Well. s**t. I was completely, utterly f****d.

Time to execute an immediate emergency exit.

I stood up sharply from the booth, intending to bolt for the door, but Conan’s hand shot forward with surprising speed. His fingers clamped around my wrist in a vice grip, painfully yanking me right back down onto the seat.

“Did you call his name out in the hallway?” he demanded fiercely, his voice rising into a loud, angry pitch that began drawing attention. “Are you the reason he put his hands on me today? Am I in this mess because of you?!”

People at the surrounding tables were officially turning around to stare at the commotion.

“You’re heavily intoxicated, Conan,” I said as gently as possible, keeping my voice low while desperately trying to pry his fingers off my skin. “Let go of me right now.”

When diplomacy completely failed, I raised my voice, trying to wrench myself away. He refused to loosen his grip, his eyes wild with rage. I looked around the bar, my eyes silently pleading with the bartenders or any onlooker to step in and intervene—but everyone just watched the drama unfold with cold indifference.

Then, out of absolute nowhere, a massive, shadow-like presence appeared behind the booth.

Before I could even blink, my other hand was firmly caught in a rock-solid grasp, and with one effortless, incredibly powerful jerk, I was yanked entirely free from Conan’s suffocating grip.

I bit back a sharp scream of shock as my body spun around, my lips automatically parting to thank whoever had just saved me from my boss—

Only for my jaw to completely drop as my eyes landed squarely on the towering figure in front of me.

Knight.

Fuck.

If this wasn’t absolute destiny, then I didn’t know what was. Because running into the exact same man twice in the span of a single day?

Yeah.

I think I just officially found mine.