The Mafia Boss's Assistant

Chapter Six : Alexandra’s POV

I sat still on the desk chair, the soft ticking of the marble clock behind me reminding me that time was still moving, even if my life felt stuck. Across the glass wall, Alessandro Morano’s name gleamed in silver letters and I stared at it, trying not to feel the weight of disappointment pressing on my shoulders.

And just like that, a memory swept in like a gust of spring wind. It was warm, golden, and achingly distant.

I was nineteen. Sophomore year. The air on campus smelled like coffee, tired students, and possibility. I remember laughing on the lawn behind the economics building, textbook open beside me, and the sun in my face.

I was wearing my dad’s old hoodie, the one he gave me for luck. Back then, life was simpler; classes, internships, dreams. I had dreams.

God, I had dreams.

I wanted to be a powerhouse in business. A popular business expert that would take the world by storm. Not necessarily fame or ego. But for them— my parents.

They had given up too much. My mom, with her tired eyes and calloused hands from working overtime at the hospital. And my dad who’d worked so hard on in his job, in this place, giving more hours and effort than necessary so I wouldn’t miss a semester.

I swore I’d give them more than a thank-you. I’d give them the kind of life they never even dared to want.

A bigger house with a water fountain in the driveway. Cleaner marble floors. A garden. Soft music playing instead of bills piling up on the kitchen table.

But now…

I exhaled slowly and looked down at the silk blouse I had worn this morning. Perfectly pressed.

Here I was, seated outside the lion’s den, nothing more than a glorified secretary—no, assistant—for the son of the most rumored ruthless men in the country.

I’d traded ambition for revenge. For a payback. My hands, resting on my lap, curled into faint fists.

His voice crackled through the intercom, breaking my thoughts. “I’m ready to see you now.”

I stood, smoothed down the fabric over my thighs, and lifted my chin. Time to play Ava Clarke’s part. Again.

Half an hour later, after the quick briefing on my responsibilities by my grumpy boss, my phone was already in my hand before I realized what I was doing. Fingers trembling slightly, I opened a new message and began typing.

Me: Eden, things just flipped. I think I’m trapped in a horror story. Mario didn’t hire me to be his secretary. His son did. I’m Alessandro Morano’s personal assistant now. Like effective immediately. He’s the new CEO.

I stared at the message, hesitated, then hit send.

I dropped the phone and folded my arms on the cold desk. Being here, sitting here… all of it felt uncomfortably foreign.

A huge part of me wanted to pretend like I was stuck in a bad dream, but the other rational part reminded me of the many steps I had taken to get here. And finally, here I was in Morano Group. I should have been proud that I made it this far, but my emotions were a mess.

I wanted to cry as much as I wanted to laugh. To top it all off, my boss was a certified asshole. Those few minutes spent by his side already foreshadowed the future to come.

I desperately needed to brace myself for impact

Twenty minutes later, the screen lit up with Eden’s reply.

Eden: Whoa! Hold on. Wait—his son? What the hell? Since when is Alessandro in charge? I thought we checked it out? Mario’s the CEO.

I didn’t even know how to explain it properly because I didn’t understand any of the drama going on. But I did notice that there was a man who seemed to oppose Alessandro’s decision to hire me.

In fact, the whole room had seemed to be boiling with a pressure and tension that was barely contained.

If I had to put the pieces together, then I’d say Alessandro’s appointment was recent.

My thumbs hovered over the keyboard before I finally let it all spill.

Me: Apparently, he’s been appointed the new head of Morano Group. We definitely didn’t see that one coming. No one did. Not even the staff. He just… hired me like he owns the place and can do whatever he likes. Now everyone’s answering to him. Sadly, including me.

Eden’s message dropped after a few minutes. I guessed she was sneaking into the backroom at the restaurant to text me. Usage of phones during her working hours were strictly prohibited.

Eden: What’s he like? This Alessandro? Is he old?

Somehow, before I responded, my heart did a little skip.

Me: He’s younger than I expected. There’s not so much about him online but he’s an eligible bachelor his clocking thirty soon. But Eden, he's cold and arrogant. I don’t know. Everything’s a mess. I’m not sure what the hell I’m supposed to do now.

The reply came too fast for her to have thought it through. But that was Eden’s strength. She didn’t need time to process anything and her instincts usually served her well.

Eden: You go through with the plan. You’re in a better position now. Being close to the son is being close to the father. You want the dirt on the Moranos? Stick to Alessandro. Watch. Listen. Dig. You’re already inside.

I stared at her words, feeling my stomach twist with uncertainty. Being “inside this building” was one thing. But being in Alessandro’s space was something else entirely.

I swallowed hard and typed.

Me: This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Eden: Things don’t always work out the way we expect. You know this better than anyone else, Lexi. But who knows? This orchestration might be better.

I leaned back, letting the phone rest on the desk, and let out a slow, bitter breath. I didn’t sign up to shadow a Morano prince.

But now I was going to have to be his shadow. And if I was going to expose the Moranos, I had to play the part, until the last curtain fell.