My Husband is a Mafia Boss

CHAPTER SEVEN

I was hunched over my desk in the library, surrounded by towering stacks of books and my half-finished homeroom assignment. The steady hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustling of pages were the only sounds, creating a bubble of focus. That was until my phone vibrated, breaking the silence. I glanced down, intending to ignore it, but my eyes widened when I saw Giovanni Caruso’s name pop up on my screen.

He had followed me on i********:.

For a moment, I just stared at the notification, my mind racing. What was he up to? I debated what to do next before curiosity got the better of me, and I tapped on it. His profile opened up, filled with photos of him in various locations, all artistically shot and frustratingly vague. Not a single girl in any of them. Somehow, that small detail brought me an odd sense of satisfaction.

I lost myself in his posts, scrolling through each one. His life looked so polished and perfect. It was a stark contrast to my own, filled with messy notes and overdue assignments. I clicked on a photo of him standing in front of a sleek sports car, trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered a little.

But only because he’s standing next to my dream car. Nothing more. Right?

Suddenly, a pair of hands landed on my shoulders, and I yelped, nearly dropping my phone. Heads turned, and the librarian shot me a stern look, her finger pressed to her lips. I mumbled an apology and glared at Lily, who had snuck up behind me.

“Geez, you scared me!” I hissed under my breath.

Lily just laughed and took the seat across from me, plopping her books on the table. “I saw that. Were you stalking your fiancé?”

I shot her a death glare. “Don’t call him that. People might hear you. And no, I wasn’t stalking him. He was stalking me. He even followed me on Insta.”

Lily raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “So, the feeling is mutual then?”

“No, it’s not!” I protested. “He wishes.”

Lily chuckled, leaning in conspiratorially. “Sure, sure. But come on, he’s Giovanni Caruso. Isn’t he like, the hottest guy in Massachusetts?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the blush creeping up my cheeks. “That’s not the point. He’s ... he’s just annoying, okay? And he’s used to getting whatever he wants.”

Lily gave me a knowing look. “And you’re the first girl to not fall for his charm. That’s gotta sting his ego a bit. Considering, you know, you’re his fiancée and all.”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “Maybe. But why does he have to make it so hard for me to focus?”

“Because he’s interested,” Lily said simply. “And maybe, just maybe, you’re interested too.”

I frowned, not wanting to admit that she might be right. Giovanni was infuriating, but there was something about him that intrigued me. I had to be careful, though. Getting involved with someone like him could only lead to trouble.

“Anyway,” I said, changing the subject. “I’ve got to finish this assignment. Professor Richards isn’t exactly lenient with deadlines.”

Lily nodded, but I could see the teasing glint in her eyes. “Alright, I’ll let it go for now. But you can’t hide from your feelings forever, Ava.”

I rolled my eyes again and focused on my work, but my mind kept drifting back to Giovanni. What was he playing at? Why did he follow me, and what did he want from me? I sighed, realizing I’d have to confront these questions sooner or later. But for now, I needed to get through this assignment and pretend that Giovanni Caruso didn’t affect me at all.

I stared at my blank screen, trying to will the words to come. The essay was worth forty percent of my final grade and it needed to be perfect. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t focus. My thoughts kept drifting back to Giovanni and his sudden stupid stunt on i********:.

With a frustrated sigh, I pushed my laptop aside and grabbed my phone. Giovanni’s account popped up on my screen, and my heart skipped a beat. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and surprise—he had unfollowed me. My i***t of a fiancé had unfollowed me.

I shot up from my seat, scoffing in disbelief. The audacity. I couldn’t believe him. Almost automatically, as if on impulse, I took a screenshot of the notification and sent it to him with the caption, “Caught you.”

I paced back and forth, my mind racing. What was his game? First, he follows me, and now he unfollows me? Was he trying to mess with my head? My phone buzzed, and I snatched it up, seeing his reply.

“Well, you caught me. But does that mean you’re finally ready to talk?” he wrote.

I frowned at his stupid message. He didn’t even bother denying it.

I started typing a reply. “In your dreams, big boy.” I hit send and as I watched the typing indicator floating at the bottom of our chat, I couldn’t help but smirk.

People like him are the easiest to read. He’s obviously conceited, takes pride in his looks and reputation, and is used to having girls throw themselves at his feet. He’s as shallow as shallow can get. So, messing with his head is actually pretty easy. It’s just like taking candy from a baby.

“Sorry, Ava. Didn’t mean to follow you by accident,” he wrote.

I rolled my eyes. “Accident, my foot.”

“But if you think that just because I sent you a follow request, this already means that I’m head over heels for you, think again. I accidentally sat on my phone and my butt sent that. It’s a butt-follow so don’t go around gloating that the GIOVANNI CARUSO followed you. Because why the hell would I? I don’t even remember you. Hell, I don’t even know you! And what the hell was your response about anyway? ‘In your dreams, big boy’? HA! If I ever dream of you, I guarantee you it’d be a nightmare.”

Look at this i***t. Sending me a really long message just to show that he doesn’t care? Puh-lease. He’s so immature. I pressed on his message and reacted with a laughing emoji on it, not even bothering to respond.

That’ll show him.

I tossed my phone back on the table and sank into my chair, trying to get my focus back on my essay. But Giovanni’s antics had gotten under my skin. I couldn’t stop thinking about his stupid message, and it was driving me insane. What the hell would he want to talk about anyway? The merger? The engagement? Or the kiss?

Lily, who had been watching me with amusement, leaned in. “What’s wrong now?”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Giovanni unfollowed me.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Wow, he’s playing hard to get. Classic move.”

I groaned. “I just don’t get him. Why follow me in the first place if he’s going to unfollow me right after?”

Lily shrugged. “Maybe he’s trying to get your attention. And it looks like it’s working.”

I scowled. “I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.”

“Maybe you should talk to him,” Lily suggested. “Clear the air or something.”

I shook my head. “No way. He doesn’t deserve that. He’s just trying to get a rise out of me.”

Lily smiled. “And he’s succeeding.”

I let out a frustrated breath. “I need to focus on my essay. This is too important to let him distract me.”

Lily nodded. “Right. The essay. But, Ava, just remember, sometimes talking things out can help you get closure. Even with annoying fiancés.” She winked.

I gave her a small smile. “Thanks, Lily. But I’ll handle Giovanni in my own way.”

I returned to my laptop, determined to finish my essay. But my mind kept drifting back to Giovanni, wondering what his next move would be. I couldn’t let him get to me, but it was easier said than done. Every time I tried to focus, his smug face popped into my mind.

After an hour of fruitless effort, I gave up and grabbed my phone again. I scrolled through Giovanni’s profile, studying his posts. Each photo told a story, but none gave me a clue about his true intentions. I needed to understand him and figure out what made him tick.

If he’s gonna play some kind of game with me, I need to at least be ready. Men with fragile egos like him are my favorite target. I needed to show him who’s boss. After all, we have no choice but to see each other often.