The Mafia Boss Is The Man Of My Dreams

Chapter 7

I woke up and got ready for work with exactly one driving purpose in mind—get Conan to talk about the mystery man and make him to spill something useful.

In my head, executing a little light interrogation didn’t seem like a difficult task at all. So the moment I was dressed and presentable, I bolted out the door and slid into the passenger seat of Jean’s car, which was already idling at the curb.

The morning drive was comfortably quiet. It wasn’t because we had nothing to say, but because my thoughts were entirely trapped, replaying the scorching details of last night’s dream. It wasn't even the dream itself or the residual heat it left behind that threw me off—it was the bizarre reason his face had vividly flashed through my mind right before my eyes snapped open.

Was I seriously already so obsessed with a stranger that I was forcefully inserting him into my subconscious? Even into the dark, faceless dreams that had been haunting me for weeks?

If this was what obsession felt like, I needed to find a way out of it—and fast.

I had met the man exactly once. Once. I couldn’t afford to go spiraling down some chaotic rabbit hole over a guy I barely knew. That simply wasn’t me. I had never been this effortlessly affected by a man before. It wasn’t the Aria way.

“We’re here already, miss,” Jean said, his voice breaking through the heavy silence as he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. “You were completely gone for more than half the ride. Are you absolutely sure you’re okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” I lied smoothly, offering him a bright smile. “Just standard stress about the relentless corporate nine-to-five.”

He let out a dry chuckle, leaning over the steering wheel. “Like I’d ever fall for a lame excuse like that.”

“Not even a little bit?” I asked, tilting my head.

He shook his head firmly.

I let out a defeated sigh as I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out onto the concrete. “Fine. I had another one of those intense dreams last night, okay?” I finally admitted as we walked side-by-side toward the main elevator.

“I thought as much,” Jean said, his eyebrows lifting significantly. “Aria, you seriously need a way out of this psychological loop. Just find someone attractive to sleep with and see if the dreams finally stop.”

I burst out laughing, hitting his shoulder. “Of course your grand psychological solution is just mindless sex.”

“Hear me out,” he said, flashing a wicked grin as the elevator doors chimed open. “You’ve basically got two options right now, and you lose absolutely nothing either way. The nature of your dreams is clearly s****l—so having an actual, real-world release should mathematically stop them. That’s basic human logic. You’ve got your new creep of a boss actively willing, and if that doesn’t appeal to you, we hunt down this mysterious Mr. M and let you work your magic on him.”

“As terrifyingly tempting as option two sounds, I’ll pass for now,” I said, stepping into the elevator. “I am absolutely never giving in to Conan. And as for the other man… we will officially revisit that case if I ever actually cross paths with him again.”

I waved a quick goodbye as Jean stepped off at his floor, and I continued up to my dept. The second I reached my desk, my eyes automatically darted toward the doors of Conan’s office.

“I just need a valid excuse to walk in there today,” I muttered under my breath.

“Good morning, Miss Aria,” Agnes greeted cheerfully, settling into the workstation right beside mine.

“Morning, dear,” I replied, forcing my focus back to reality.

She reached over and handed me a thick, folder. “The asset team needs this specific audit report finalized and submitted directly to the CEO’s desk before the end of the day.”

“Directly to the CEO?” I echoed, a spark of pure opportunity lighting up in my chest.

Agnes nodded frantically.

I opened the document immediately, my eyes scanning the header.

“Edge Foundation, Huh…” I murmured softly, tracing the sharp corporate logo printed at the top of the page. It was an incredibly powerful layout for an investment foundation, but I didn't think much of it as I dove straight into the numbers.

I got to work right away, my fingers flying across my keyboard. Because I was running on pure adrenaline, it didn’t take long to balance the sheets. I cleared through a few other administrative tasks as well, fully planning to submit the complete packet right before closing hours—the absolute perfect timing to launch my little investigation.

But fate decided to accelerate my timeline. Right before the lunch hour bell, my desk phone buzzed. I was being summoned by Conan.

I practically had a skip in my step as I grabbed the completed folder, a buzz of nervous excitement humming through my veins. I had no earthly idea why he had called for me so early, but a win was a win.

“You called for me, sir?” I asked sweetly as I stepped into his office, coming to a halt directly in front of his desk and instantly schooling my expression into flawless professionalism.

“Did you finish auditing the accounts for the Edge Foundation?” he asked, not even looking up from his tablet.

My eyes widened slightly. Did this man just call me in here for actual, legitimate work? Shocking.

“Yes,” I said, clearing the surprise from my throat. “I was actually just about to bring them to you.”

I placed the heavy folder squarely on his desk and took a deliberate step backward. Conan skimmed through the pages for a brief moment before nodding in approval. “Looks surprisingly clean.”

“Thank you, sir,” I replied calmly, keeping my hands folded.

“Now that the boring business is officially out of the way,” he said, that familiar, entitled snark instantly slipping back into his tone. He stood up from his chair and began walking slowly around the desk toward me. “How about we smoothly continue exactly where we left off yesterday, Aria?”

Of course.The predator was back.

“Where exactly did we stop, Mr. Conan?” I asked, deliberately playing along to see how much I could map out.

“Don’t play naive with me, sweetheart,” he said, his hands reaching out to grip my waist, pulling me firmly into his space.

“I’m really not being naive,” I replied softly, keeping my breathing even despite the intense wave of revulsion. “The very last thing I remember from yesterday was you frantically chasing me out of your office.”

Conan’s expression stiffened slightly, and his grip loosened just a fraction. “I’m incredibly sorry about that. An unexpected, highly urgent emergency came up.”

“Was it because of that man?” I asked, locking my eyes directly onto his.

I watched his pupils instantly dilate. His gaze shifted rapidly to the side, avoiding my face entirely.

Bingo. He was terrified of whoever that stranger was.

“What man?” Conan said sharply, his voice dropping into a defensive, tight pitch.

“The one in the charcoal suit,” I continued smoothly, pressing my advantage. “I saw him walk into your office the second you threw me out. And... I actually ran into him in the hallway later on, too.”

“You saw him later?” Conan blurted out, completely dropping his smooth act as he released my waist entirely, taking a panicked step back. “What exactly did he say to you, Aria? Did he ask about me?”

“Not exactly,” I said, tilting my head thoughtfully. “He just noted that I was the girl from your office.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Conan breathed, visibly letting out a massive sigh of relief as he adjusted his tie.

“But,” I added carefully, dropping the bait, “he also arrogantly assumed I was just one of your little playthings.”

Conan’s jaw clenched tightly, a flash of genuine anger and bitterness washing over his face. “Knight,” he muttered under his breath, his fists tightening at his sides. “That arrogant, controlling fucker.”

I forced myself to bite back a triumphant smile.

Knight.

The name suited his lethal, breathtaking aura perfectly.

“Just ignore him,” Conan said quickly, his tone laced with a frantic kind of authority. “And make absolutely sure you stay far away from him if you ever see him lurking around this building again. He’s dangerous.”

If I see him again.

A thrill chased down my spine. So there would inevitably be a next time.

I nodded with perfect, obedient compliance, already mapping out my next moves in my head. I was going to find out absolutely everything there was to know about Knight Edge before that inevitable second meeting ever happened—one way or another.

Who on earth said ruthless, powerful men were the only ones allowed to hunt down information on the people who interested them?

I could play that game just as well as he could.