CHAPTER THREE: THE CHAINS OF A DEAL
781 Words
Chapter Three: The Chains of a Deal.
Morning came too quickly.
Isla groaned as her alarm blared, dragging her out of the little sleep she had managed. Her body felt heavy, her mind still replaying the events of the previous night.
She was officially trapped in a deal with one of the most dangerous men in Rome.
And today marked her first full day as Alessio Moretti’s assistant.
She forced herself up, showered quickly, and threw on the most professional outfit she owned—a plain white blouse and a black pencil skirt. Her wardrobe wasn’t exactly designed for high-end corporate offices, but she had to make do.
Her hands tightened around her worn leather bag as she stepped out onto the bustling streets.
She couldn’t afford to be late.
---
By the time she reached Moretti Enterprises, she was five minutes early.
The security guard at the front desk barely glanced at her before waving her toward the private elevator. She stepped inside, pressing the code Alessio had given her last night.
As the doors slid shut, she inhaled deeply.
She could do this.
The elevator dinged, opening to Alessio’s office. She expected it to be empty.
Instead, he was already there, sitting behind his massive desk, scrolling through his phone. His suit jacket was draped over the back of his chair, his crisp white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, exposing his forearms.
He barely looked up. “You’re late.”
Isla frowned. “I’m five minutes early.”
He smirked. “Then you’re late by ten.”
Her jaw clenched, but she bit back a retort. Picking a fight with her new boss on day one wasn’t the best idea.
She walked toward her desk and set her bag down. “What’s first?”
Alessio leaned back in his chair, watching her with mild amusement. “You’re eager.”
“I want to get this over with,” she muttered.
He chuckled. “That’s not how this works, dolcezza.”
Her stomach flipped at the nickname, but she ignored it.
He gestured toward the desk. “You’ll handle my emails first. I need reports from our Milan branch, updates from the warehouse, and a briefing from our lawyer.”
Her brows knitted together. “You do know I don’t have experience in this, right?”
Alessio leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “You’re smart. You’ll figure it out".
Isla blinked. “All of them?”
Alessio nodded, eyes glinting with something unreadable. “Every single one.”
She hesitated. “And what do I tell them?”
He tilted his head. “That I don’t feel like dealing with anyone today.”
Isla’s lips parted, but she quickly shut them. Unbelievable. The man ran an empire, and yet he could cancel an entire day’s worth of meetings simply because he didn’t feel like it?
She exhaled, turning back to the screen. “Fine. Anything else?”
Alessio stood, walking around his desk with slow, deliberate steps. He stopped in front of hers, leaning down slightly. “Yes. I need you to come with me.”
Isla’s pulse quickened. “Where?”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “You ask too many questions, dolcezza.”
Before she could argue, he was already walking toward the elevator.
Isla clenched her jaw, grabbed her bag, and followed.
---
The drive was tense.
Alessio didn’t speak much, and Isla didn’t push him. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know where they were going.
But when they pulled up to a luxurious private hospital on the outskirts of the city, her stomach flipped.
Her breath caught. “Is this…?”
Alessio turned to her, his expression unreadable. “Your grandmother’s surgery is today.”
The words hit her like a punch to the chest.
She had assumed he would take his time—use her as his assistant for months before fulfilling his end of the deal. But here they were, barely 24 hours after signing the contract.
She swallowed hard. “Why so soon?”
Alessio leaned back against the headrest, his eyes scanning her face. “Because I said I’d take care of it.”
For a brief moment, Isla forgot who he was.
Forgot that he was a man who ruled the underworld, that she was just a pawn in whatever game he was playing.
All she saw was a man who had kept his promise.
She turned away, gripping her hands together. “Thank you.”
Alessio said nothing.
And for the first time since meeting him, the silence wasn’t suffocating.
It was something else entirely.
Something dangerous.
Something she wasn’t ready to face.
- Writer
