Six months contract with the mafia boss

CHAPTER 5

MELIORA

Even though Dominic’s face gave away nothing, I knew I was about to get scolded for what happened in the conference room.

Each step I took towards his desk seemed heavy. Dominic on the other hand watched me drag my feet towards him. His finger drummed slightly on his armrest, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

“What the f**k happened to your speed?” he spat when he lost the patience to wait for me to get to his desk.

His angry tone snapped me into action and I hurried over to him.

He gestured towards the empty seat with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Have a seat.”

Licking my suddenly dry lips, I slammed my ass on the chair and bowed my head to avoid eye contact. There is something with the way he stares at me like he can uncover my deepest secret just by staring at me. “I am sorry for recording the meeting.” I assumed it was a normal thing to do.

He didn’t respond. It was as if I hadn’t spoken at all. Instead, he pulled open a drawer, the metallic clink echoing through the room. A moment later, he slammed a large brown envelope onto the desk, the force of it making me flinch.

My eyes darted to the envelope, its edges worn and bulging slightly. My fingers twitched with the urge to reach for it and maybe even peel it open. But I knew better than to give in to my curiosity.

“I want you to deliver this to the address I’ll send you,” he said, his voice rough. “You will not ask any questions, and you will not open it. It must be delivered at exactly”—he paused to glance at his wristwatch, his jaw tightening as he calculated—“two in the afternoon. Not a minute earlier, not a minute later.”

I nodded obediently, my fingers closing around the envelope. It was heavier than I expected, and that made my curiosity grow. I fought the urge to shake it, to see if it made a sound that would reveal its contents. But I knew better. Dominic wasn’t a man you crossed.

After all, this was the same man who once held a gun to my father’s head. It was foolish to think someone like him dealt in harmless packages, like flowers or birthday cakes. Whatever was in this envelope, it was far from innocent.

“Who am I delivering it to?”

Dominic’s eyes flicked up to meet mine. “The address I’ll send you.”

No name. No other instructions. Just an address. My stomach tightened, but I managed a quick nod. “Right.”

My phone pinged at the same time as I stood to my feet. I bowed slightly, more out of acknowledgment before walking out of the room, surprised that he didn’t say anything about what happened in the conference room.

I guess Sophia is the only one, whose hate I will have to deal with.

****************

I had the parcel delivered at two o’clock on the dot, just like Dominic wanted, and I quickly went back to the office to inform him that it had been delivered.

“I am going to beat you at this game one day.” An unfamiliar voice spoke with so much promise in his voice.

Slowly, making my way to the desk, I dropped off the envelope I got in return on Dominic’s desk, my eyes flickering to the game of chess they were playing.

“If you move that, it’s going to be checkmate in two moves.” The words were out before I could catch them. I froze, realizing I’d just crossed a line.

Both heads snapped toward me—Dominic’s eyes narrowing, his face giving away nothing, and the other guy looking more amused than anything else. My stomach dropped. I shouldn’t have spoken. I shouldn’t have even breathed too loud in this room.

I quickly looked down, heat rushing to my face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted.”

To my surprise, the other man laughed, his voice light and warm. “Don’t be. I need all the help I can get to beat him.” He sounded so casual like he wasn’t sitting across from the most intimidating man on the planet.

I wished I could be that relaxed. But Dominic was still staring at me, his eyes dark and focused, and it was making my skin prickle. It always felt like he was dissecting me with that gaze, peeling back layers to see what was underneath. I hated it. And it was why I always tried to keep my mouth shut around him.

I cleared my throat, desperate to move on. “The envelope was delivered exactly at two,” I reported.

Dominic leaned back, the chair creaking softly. He took his time, fingers playing with the cigarette between his lips. “I heard.”

His tone caught me off guard. It almost sounded like…approval. My head jerked up, eyes widening. How did he already know? I’d come straight back here after the delivery. Who was feeding him information?

I pushed the questions down, knowing better than to ask. Dominic had eyes and ears everywhere—that much was clear. “Am I done for the day, or is there something else you need?”

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes stayed on the chessboard, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. It was almost like my question had offended him like he wasn’t used to being the one answering questions. No, Dominic was definitely more comfortable being the one in control, the one who asked the questions and demanded the answers.

Finally, without looking at me, he spoke. “You can go home.” His tone was clipped, his attention already back on the game, dismissing me.

Before I could even process his words, the other guy. “Since she’s done for the day, I can take her out for a late lunch, right?”

I stared at him, completely thrown off. Was he… asking me out? My eyes darted to Dominic, whose head had snapped up, a sharp frown cutting across his face. It was the most emotion I’d seen from him all day. “You’re free for lunch, right?” He continued with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I happen to be hungry too.”

Too? I never said I was hungry.

I looked at Dominic again, unsure of what to say. His expression was hard, his jaw tight as he glared at him.

“Do not flirt with my staff, Lucas,” Dominic warned.

Lucas leaned back, completely unfazed. “I’m not flirting, Dominic,” he argued, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “I’m just asking her to lunch. No harm in that.”

“Get out.”

The growl that came out of Dominic was cold and lethal. It wasn’t a request. It was a command, the kind you didn’t question unless you were looking for trouble.

I took that as my cue to leave. My shoulders relaxed just a little as I turned toward the door, eager to escape the tension in the room. But I barely took two steps before Dominic’s voice rang out.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Meliora.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, my back stiffening. “That was for you, Lucas. I think this game of chess is over.”

I expected Lucas to be annoyed, maybe even pissed, but instead, he laughed—a deep, throaty sound. “Kicking me out just because I asked her to lunch?” he teased, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Without any hurry, he stood up and made his way toward me, his eyes sweeping over me with a slow appreciation that made my skin prickle. I suddenly felt exposed.

“You know I love a good challenge, Dominic,” Lucas said, his gaze lingering on me a second too long. He flashed me a playful wink. “See you around, cupcake.”

Cupcake? What the—

Before I could even begin to form a response, he was gone, his laughter trailing behind him as he strolled out of the office like he owned the place. I stood there, dumbfounded, my brain struggling to process his abrupt flirting. Did that seriously just happen?

I turned around slowly, trying to collect myself, only to be met with Dominic’s fierce glare. His eyes were locked on me, dark, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack.

Oh, great. Now I was the target of his anger.