The mafia lord’s imposter

CHAPTER 4

“Take off your dress.”

“You… you want me to what?” I asked, my voice laced with disgust.

“Are you deaf?” Xavier, who had been looking at his phone, switched it off and turned to face me.

“That’s sick. I won’t do it.” My stomach twisted into knots as the implications hit me. A wave of nausea washed over me, and my hands began to shake. “No way,” I said firmly, unable to meet his cruel gaze.

I saw the tightening of his jaw as my hands gripped the edge of my gown, tears already gathering at the corners of my eyes. Guess I’m the perfect candidate for this nightmare.

“Are you testing my patience, young lady?”

I glanced at the divider separating us from the driver. In shame, I slowly unzipped the dress, pulling it down to my knees, my hands covering the visible part of my chest.

I looked at him, expecting him to gawk at me like those foul men

but he didn’t. His expression stayed unreadable, his eyes scanning my body with calm.

“Put your hands down.”

I bit my lip hard, shaking my head in refusal. What was he looking for? Did he know about the plan? About the paper? I tried to steady my breathing as different thoughts raced through my head.

“I do not appreciate repeating myself.”

The annoyance in his voice made me drop my hands immediately, holding my breath for what would come next.

Picking up a black bag from the floor, he opened it and brought out an unfamiliar device. What is he doing?

I watched carefully as he worked on the device. When he was done, he looked at me. “Stay still,” he ordered, bringing the device closer. His hands and the object hovered directly in front of me before he pressed a button. A faint green light flickered to life, spreading in thin lines as he moved it slowly down my body to my legs.

“What is that?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. He just continued what he was doing, his focus unwavering.

He pulled a laptop from the same bag, removed a small chip from the device, and inserted it. My curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked at the screen.

He typed a few things I couldn’t understand before an image appeared,it was a full-body scan of me. Does he have some weird fetish? I thought nervously.

Green lines flashed across the image before a single word appeared on the screen: CLEAN.

He looked at me and said simply, “Done.”

He packed the device and laptop back into the bag, then leaned against the seat, staring blankly out the window, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his thigh.

What was all that for? I wondered. But I knew asking wouldn’t get me any answers.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to do anything else, I asked carefully, “Can I wear my dress now?” My voice trembled; I felt sick sitting half-naked in a stranger’s car.

“If you must,” he said, still gazing out the window.

I put the gown back on with unfathomable speed as if he hadn’t already seen everything.

After several minutes of driving past an endless brick wall, the car finally stopped at a grand, ornate gate of wrought iron adorned with intricate designs.

I stepped out of the sleek black Maybach onto the circular driveway, my heart racing with a mix of fear and uncertainty. The imposing mansion loomed before me majestic and terrifying.

The villa’s Tuscan-inspired architecture stood out with stone walls, terracotta roof tiles, and ornate balconies on each side. Surveillance cameras covered every corner, with bodyguards stationed across the property.

If I hadn’t already felt cheap being bought for only a thousand crowns, I definitely did now.

I was about to follow the driver toward the entrance when Xavier stepped in front of me. Standing this close, I realized how small I was compared to him. He towered well over six-three while I barely reached five-five.

He trapped me between his body and the car, his presence making my knees weak. For a brief second, something flickered in his expression. Confusion? But it vanished before I could tell if it was real.

“Have you, by any chance, ever been to Dacia?” he asked suddenly.

“Where is that?” I replied, genuinely confused. I hadn’t been to many places in my life.

“Hmm.” He studied me for a long moment, his gaze probing, almost as if he were searching my soul, a habit I was starting to notice.

“Baby, you’re home!”

We both turned toward the voice. A beautiful young woman with glossy black hair and glowing brown eyes walked toward us, her skin radiant even under the dim light.

“Yes,” he answered her before walking away from me.

The surprise on her face made it clear she hadn’t noticed me earlier, he’d probably blocked me from view with his body.

Her face quickly brightened into a warm smile. “And you are?” Somehow, it sounded like she was asking for my status rather than my name.

“I’m Jade,” I said, returning her smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Amelia.” She added.”Only Xavier calls me Amy.”

With the little time I’d spent with him I would say the name was too long for him so he shortened it.

I smiled politely and followed behind as Xavier walked into the house, Amelia holding onto his arm possessively.

“Honey, where did you find your friend?” she asked sweetly.

“She’s not a friend,” Xavier corrected flatly.

Amelia’s mood seemed to lift at that.

Inside, the mansion was breathtaking almost too much so. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, scattering rainbows across the polished marble floors. Gold accents gleamed on every wall, velvet drapes cascaded down in folds, and priceless paintings lined the hallways.

It was beautiful.

A stern middle-aged woman in a black knee-length gown appeared from one of the corridors.

“Rosa, get her settled in,” Xavier said before disappearing upstairs with Amelia.

“Follow me,” Rosa ordered curtly, leading me down the hall.

As we walked through the labyrinthine corridors, I struggled to keep up with the sheer number of rooms.

We passed a few staff members; their expressions ranged from curious to suspicious.

“Your duties will include cleaning, laundry, and assisting with meal service,” Rosa explained. “Be discreet, efficient, and always address the family members formally. And most importantly, do not enter the forbidden room I showed you earlier.”

I nodded, curiosity quietly sparking inside me.

When we reached the small attic room that would now be mine, Rosa handed me a crisp uniform. “You start tomorrow. Six a.m. sharp.”