BOUND TO THE BOSS

Chapter 5: The Rules

The next morning, Elena woke before dawn.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about dinner. The way Dante had looked at her. The way he had touched her face. The way he had said, "I don't want your soul. I want your loyalty."

She did not know what he wanted. She did not know what she wanted. Her heart was confused. Her mind was racing.

At 7 AM, Rosa brought breakfast. Eggs. Fresh bread. Coffee that smelled like heaven.

Elena ate quickly, even though she wasn't hungry. She needed strength. She needed to stay alert.

She dressed in another black dress from the wardrobe. Simple. Elegant. She looked like she belonged here now. That scared her.

She walked to the study at exactly 8 AM.

Dante was not there.

She waited. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Half an hour.

Then the door opened.

Dante walked in. His shirt was untucked. His hair was messy. Dark circles hung under his eyes. He looked exhausted.

"You're late," Elena said.

"I don't answer to you."

"I'm your assistant. I need to know your schedule. How can I help you if you don't tell me what you need?"

He sat behind his desk. Rubbed his temples.

"Bad night?" she asked.

"I don't have bad nights."

"You look like you had one."

His eyes flashed with warning. "Careful, Elena."

She did not back down. "You told me to be honest with you. I'm being honest. Is that not allowed?"

Dante stared at her for a long, tense moment. Then he sighed.

"I dream about my father. Almost every night. The night he died."

Elena's anger softened into sympathy. "I'm sorry. That must be hard."

"It was a long time ago."

"Pain doesn't have an expiration date. Grief doesn't just disappear."

He looked at her. Something shifted in his cold gray eyes. "You're too perceptive for your own good."

---

The first meeting of the day was with his lawyer. A thin man with glasses and a nervous smile.

"The police are asking questions about Rossi," the lawyer said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Let them ask. They won't find anything," Dante replied calmly.

"The Rossi family is pressuring for answers. They want to know what happened to him."

"Tell them Rossi disappeared. It happens in this business. People vanish."

The lawyer nodded quickly and left without another word.

Elena looked at Dante. "You're not worried?"

"The police are paid off. The family is scared. No one will talk. They know what happens if they do."

"And if someone does talk?"

Dante's eyes went cold as ice. "Then they disappear too. Permanently."

Elena swallowed hard. She was seeing the monster again.

---

The next meeting was with a woman. Beautiful. Expensive clothes. Dark hair and red lips.

She looked at Elena with curiosity. "New assistant?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Dante said flatly.

"She's pretty. Very pretty."

Dante's jaw tightened. "She's no one. Just staff."

Elena felt the familiar sting. No one. She was nothing to him. Just a debt. Just a servant.

The woman discussed business. A shipment of money that needed protection during transport. Dante agreed to help. The woman left, but not before winking at him.

"She was flirting with you," Elena said after the door closed.

"Lucia flirts with everyone. It means nothing."

"She wanted more than business. I saw the way she looked at you."

Dante looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"No. Observant. There's a difference."

"You're jealous. It's cute."

Elena's face flushed red. She looked away quickly.

---

After the meetings, Dante dismissed her.

"You can explore the house. The gardens. The library. Just don't leave the property."

"I'm a prisoner here."

"You're protected. There's a big difference."

He walked away before she could argue.

Elena wandered through the mansion. The library was huge, filled with books that looked untouched. The music room had a grand piano covered in dust. There was a ballroom that had not been used in years.

Then she found a door at the end of a dark hallway. Locked.

She tried the handle again. Locked tight.

"Don't go in there."

She turned. Rosa was standing behind her, her face pale.

"What's in there?" Elena asked.

"Nothing you need to see. Leave it alone."

"Is it his father's room?"

Rosa's face went even paler. "How do you know that?"

"I guessed. The way he talks about his father... it's still fresh."

Rosa took her arm firmly. Led her away. "Some doors are locked for a reason, child. Leave it alone. For your own safety."

---

That evening, Elena found Dante in the garden.

He was sitting on a stone bench, looking up at the stars. His face was soft. Almost peaceful.

She sat beside him without asking.

"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm dangerous. I hurt people. I kill people."

"I know."

"Then why do you keep getting closer? Why aren't you running?"

Elena looked at his profile. Sharp. Beautiful. Haunted.

"Because I see you," she said. "The real you. Not the monster you want everyone to see."

Dante turned to face her. His gray eyes were intense. Vulnerable.

"You don't know me," he whispered.

"I know you dream about your father. I know you trust no one. I know you killed a man yesterday and it's still bothering you."

"It doesn't bother me."

"Then why do you look so tired? Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?"

He was silent.

"I'm not trying to save you, Dante. I'm just trying to understand you."

"Maybe I don't want to be understood."

"Too late for that."

He reached out. Took her hand in his. His fingers were warm.

"You're going to be trouble for me, Elena."

"I already am."

He laughed. Low. Soft. Real.

They sat in silence, holding hands, watching the stars.

Elena knew she was falling for the devil.

She just didn't know if she wanted to stop.