The billionaire's reluctant mistress

Chapter 3: He was actually a good man

That morning. Rachel arrived at work earlier than usual. The whole office was quiet. She had just turned on her computer when Sabrina - the gorgeous assistant of Mr. Albanese – appeared with the friendliest smile she had ever put on.

“Rachel, I really need to go now, can you please do a little favor for me?”

"Okay. What do you need?”

“Can you bring Mr. Albanese a cup of coffee in 15 mins. A cup of black Kobi Luwak, no milk, no sugar. I usually buy it at the The Trung Nguyen Cafe down the ground floor. Also, can you sit at my desk and listen to phone calls? Just for like, you know, 20 mins."

Rachel assented but asked curiously why she was  in such a hurry.

She rolled her eyes and sighed: “I feel really sick. I need to sort myself out. I’ll be back soon!”

Rachel took notes, "All right. I'll get him a cup of coffee.”

“Thank you, Rachel. You’re a lifesaver!"

Stepping into Trung Nguyen Cafe, the fragrant aroma of coffee woke Rachel up. She was very sensitive to caffeine, it made her heart beat fast and her head spin. Rachel usually drank chamomile tea only in the mornings. While waiting for the service, she flipped through the catalog about the production process of Luwak coffee. It was produced entirely by hand in a highland region of Vietnam. Incredibly expensive of course, over 4000$ for a pound. Ah, the lifestyle of a tycoon.

Upon returning to the office, she knocked on his door.

"Mr. Albanese, your coffee."

Rachel entered the room. She smelt the scent of expensive cologne. Leaving the coffee on the table, she found him reading documents about the recent real estate bubble in London. Somehow her gaze couldn't leave his face. His profile looked like an ancient  Greek masterpiece, masculine but not too rough. His long lashes were lowered, covering his  sharp eyes. For a short moment, Rachel saw Flynn again… They were the same, but yet very different. The feeling Dalziel Albanese gave others was totally different from Flynn’s. He seemed a lot harsher, and more attractive.

"Is there anything else?" Sensing Rachel’s stare, Dalziel looked up then quickly returned to the computer screen.

"Ah. Yes. Mrs. Smith called from the London Department of Construction to confirm your appointment with Mr. Fredrik.”

“Ok. I see. Thank you.”

Sabrina got back around 11, but she kept sneezing and coughing. Her eyes were swollen and red. It seemed like she had caught a terrible cold. Rachel could hear her from all the way down the hall. She disappeared again after lunch and 30 mins later, Mrs. Amaral came to Rachel.

“Are you working on the Coral Bay project?” She asked.

“Yes, I am. Are there any problems?”

“Mr. Albanese wants to see you.”

This was the second time she knocked on his door that day. Looking up from the desk and realizing it was Rachel again, his eyebrows furrowed as if he didn’t want to see her.

“Mrs. Amaral said that you wanted to see me?”

He kept quiet for a while, leaning back at his seat. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as he said: “I need to see the head of the LDC tonight. But Sabrina is sick. She won’t come back until the day after tomorrow. And I need someone who understands our current project. This is an unofficial meeting.”

Rachel knew too well what “an unofficial meeting” was. She had worked on hundreds of them for the past several years after all.

“Of course, you will be paid extra for overtime. Do you think you are up to it?”

Was there any way she could say no? She looked away from his cold eyes and nodded, “I’ll go with you.”

"Ok. Let's go then." As he spoke, his breathing was heavy as if he was trying to suppress his disappointment. Rachel got confused. What? Did he actually expect her  to say no? She looked at her watch, it was only three. Wasn’t it a little early to go now?

He noticed her bewildered look: "Your outfit is not suitable for tonight, we need to get you something else."

Rachel quietly checked her dress. She had had it for three years. Although it was a bit outdated, the dress still looked proper. Nothing bad about it. But he was the boss and if he said she needed to change, then she would.

It was the first time Rachel sat in a car with her boss. She looked out of the window, at each of the stores passing by the side of the road but didn't notice what was displayed inside. Being with him in such a small space, she could smell his Bvlgari cologne. The masculine fragrance of dark wood filled the vehicle. She wanted to say something, anything to break the silence between them but she couldn’t find the words. She felt  that he didn’t like her, but she had no idea why.

The car stopped at a luxury shopping complex. Rachel followed her boss to the end of the hall. They entered a sumptuous clothing store decorated with black marble. He must have been a regular customer since the girls standing by the reception desk immediately welcomed them both with a full smile: “Mr. Albanese. We have some choices ready for you.”

They brought out several carefully wrapped dresses. Dalziel took a look at each one, ignoring her. In fact, he had never seemed to pay any attention to her presence. Rachel glanced at his back, which was partially hidden behind some of the clothing racks. Somehow Rachel was reminded of  the time she spent with Flynn a few years ago. Back then, their life was very difficult. She was 19, too young and too naïve. He was 22, fresh out of college and struggling with his first job. They were never able to afford shopping in department stores like this and lived from paycheck to paycheck. But it didn’t matter because she was completely happy.

How pathetic it was to remember things that were actually meaningless and turned out to be a sham at the end. She mocked herself. All the vows they made were  like clouds flying away, and yet, stupidly, she had still stayed.

A long, silver dress was brought in front of Rachel, interrupting her memory. She took it with both of her hands. Looking at the dress, she breathed out in relief. Fortunately, it wasn’t cut too deep or showed too much of her skin. She took the dress to the dressing room and walked out 3 minutes later.

Rachel stared stupendously at her own reflection in the mirror.

The design was simple and venerated the perfect curves of her body. The silver silk material made her skin shine, exposing her splendid collarbones and thin shoulders. Her long, loose hair looked feminine; sexy but not vulgar.

No wonder why he had wanted her to get changed.

Rachel secretly looked for his reaction through the mirror. She just wanted to know if he was satisfied or not, since he was the one who would pay for this dress. Unexpectedly, in those dark eyes, there was no more ice or distance, there was amorous lust, and even pain.

It couldn’t be. She was unable to grasp the inner meaning hidden behind  those intense eyes. Rachel turned to face him, but his gaze was frosty  again. He walked over and handed her a pair of heels.

There was undeniable admiration on the sales women’s faces when they looked at Dalziel Albanese. His charm was beyond doubt. He was a man with a dazzling appearance and successful career. And most importantly, he spent time shopping with his women. Who could say no to that?

From the moment upon entering the shopping mall, her boss had hardly said a word to her; it felt like he had a freezer inside him.

“I didn’t know that you had such an impressive fashion sense. Your fiancée must be a very lucky woman." Rachel wanted  to flatter him but somehow the words sounded sarcastic.

Dalziel Albanese was silent for a while, then answered: "Not really, just because my cara... liked these things."

Rachel liked the way he used the word ‘cara’. It made him sound… normal. Like a normal man who also fell in love, being vulnerable in front of some woman. Perhaps it was not too exaggerated when Katy described him as “faithful".

She said with a smile: "I bet she is really happy with you."

He just glanced at her, neither admitting, nor negating. For a moment, Rachel thought she saw a hint of secret affection in his eyes.

She began to wonder, what type of woman could bring her boss to his knees. She must be perfect, perhaps the embodiment of the best features in a woman - noble, beautiful, intelligent, gentle...

Back to the car, Rachel suddenly remembered something: "Can I make a quick phone call?"

He looked at her then nodded. She turned away, trying  to get  as far from him as possible, because she felt as if  she would disturb him with her voice. Opening her phone, she called Lisa.

"Rachel, what's up?" Lisa picked up almost immediately.

"I said I would make us some carbonara tonight, but I have to work until very late. I’m sorry. Is it ok if you have dinner by yourself?”

“Ok, don’t worry. I and Alex will go out for Thai food then.” Alex was Lisa’s boyfriend. They had been together for more than three years. Rachel thought they would move in together soon since Lisa spent half of the time at Alex’s.

“Ok. I’ll be back soon. See you later.”

“See you. Love you, b***h!”

“Love you...” Rachel was about to say the word “b***h”, but then she remembered who was next to her. Rachel swallowed. She put her phone away, straightening her back.

Suddenly, he said: "Your husband really doesn’t mind you working late?"

This is the second time he had asked her this question. She didn't know how to explain, having no choice but to keep lying.

"No. He doesn't." Because he didn’t exist, Rachel teased herself.

She thought he would mock her again, as he had done last time. But he stayed silent the rest of the journey.