The Coldwell

A Journey with the Boss

Vanessa woke up a couple of hours later, searching for Dante, but it seemed her boss had left. She closed her eyes, able to inhale his fragrance—it was intense yet sophisticated.

Dante had initially planned to stay until the girl woke up, but as he watched her sleep, a strong impulse to kiss her overcame him. So, he decided to distance himself before committing to something he might regret.

Shortly after, Dante felt uneasy. He decided to send a message to the girl's phone to check on her. Vane was surprised to see a message from an unknown number. Upon opening it, she realized it was from Dante.

"Are you alright, Miss Sanders?" Vane couldn't help but read it in Dante's voice, laughing when she realized.

"I'm better, Mr. Damasco, thank you."

Vane expected another message from Dante, but that was the only one. His message was as cold as he was.

On the other end, Dante stared at his phone screen. He had almost asked the girl if she was hungry, thinking of ordering some food for her. However, he abruptly stopped, realizing he was being too obvious. He didn't want the girl to think he was melting for her.

Dante would have been furious if he had seen the name the girl had saved in her phone for him.

Domogro—Vane thought it was the name her icy boss deserved, so she registered him under that name while laughing.

Meanwhile, Katrina received a call from Evenus. The man had taken to being romantic at night, and she wondered how he managed to keep it a secret from his wife.

"You don't have to worry about her; she goes to bed early. She doesn't want her face to be filled with wrinkles from not getting enough sleep. She does the same thing every day, religiously. You know what I love about this marriage, Angelina?"

"I have no idea," Katrina replied honestly.

"Its charms make infidelity a necessity."

He was shamelessly bold, and Katrina despised any man who used what he considered flaws in his wife to try to win her over.

"Is it that necessary for you?" she asked, referring to infidelity.

"Very much so. I'm drowning; this marriage is suffocating me too much."

"I'm sorry for you," she lied.

"I need to see you."

"We saw each other a few hours ago."

"It's not enough."

"I'm sorry; it can't be for now. I'm a decent woman; I don't want to go around destroying marriages." Katrina chuckled internally.

Evenus reflected; he was moving too fast. He didn't want to scare her off; he liked the girl too much.

"I'm sorry, beautiful. I let my desires get the best of me. I apologize for that."

"Don't worry, apology accepted."

Evenus said goodbye as he heard footsteps approaching where he was.

"Darling, I know your work is essential, but you need to rest. You'll end up getting sick."

His wife, though capricious, loved him and cared for him, unaware that he was only using her to achieve his goals.

The girl had her face covered by a thick green mask, and rollers were set in her hair. She didn't look like the beautiful woman she was during the day. She had gained confidence and no longer cared about showing herself to him in that way, and it bothered him.

Evenus entered the dressing room, hurriedly put on his pajamas while the girl went into the bathroom to wash her face. When she came out, he was already lying down. She lay down beside him, placing her head on his chest—his favorite resting place. The man pretended to be asleep.

In the morning, at her apartment, Vanessa hurried to get ready for work. Early on, she had received a message from Dante. She could skip work if she felt unwell after such a bad experience. The girl knew that if she went, he would form a good impression of her and use it to his advantage.

Katrina was right; men like Dante liked to feel they could protect a helpless girl. She wore a discreet black dress, though tight-fitting, knee-length, and the chosen updo gave her a sophisticated appearance.

Upon arriving at the corporate office, Dante was surprised to see her.

"Miss Sanders, you should have stayed to rest for at least today."

"I appreciate it, Mr. Damasco, but I must fulfill my duties."

Dante discreetly stared at her as she organized things at her workspace. That outfit, though modest, perfectly outlined her curves. He shook his head, turned to return to his office, but before entering, he stopped and immediately went back to the girl.

"Miss Sanders, tomorrow I have to travel to Italy for business matters. It's an unexpected trip, I hadn't mentioned it due to recent events, but considering that you are determined not to rest, you'll have to accompany me."

"Alright, sir."

"We will leave directly from the apartment building to the airport."

"As you wish, sir."

Vanessa couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought of traveling alongside her boss. She would have to inform her family that she would be traveling with Damasco, especially Darius.

So, that afternoon, after leaving the corporate office, she went straight to the Colwell mansion, paying special attention to ensure no one followed her.

"How lucky, cousin, you'll have the opportunity to win over Damasco during the trip. So, you must use all possible seduction weapons," Sara thought it would be a good opportunity for the girl.

Darius rolled his eyes upon hearing her, thinking it was time to end this absurd family tradition. However, he couldn't say it, and he left the room to avoid hearing things that made him uncomfortable.

"And Katrina?" Vane asked, noticing her absence.

"Trying to control Evenus; he turned out to be a passionate man."

"Marianne, Tanya, and I have decided to take a good vacation, taking a break from our targets for a while," Sara had planned a dream vacation.

"As for you, cousin, and the hunk Damasco, I think it's time for Sara to talk to you about certain matters."

"I'll just give you some advice that has worked for me. You have to take advantage of this trip to conquer him. You can't be his personal assistant forever."

And there they went again. Vane prepared to listen to what Sara was going to say.

“Powerful men tend to be masochistic. An irrational, beautiful woman is incredibly attractive to them. They are exhausted from being rational. When you realize you've captured their attention, change your mood drastically. It will throw them off balance, temporarily intimidating them with your capricious behavior. Highlight your physical qualities for him, but when he feels he's about to have you, keep your distance and act cold. It will drive him crazy.”

Poor Vanessa listened to her cousin's words without making any sense of them. She admired Sara and Katrina, who were the most experienced in the group. Her aunts, though not much older, had retired in a way, dedicating themselves to enjoying their fortune and constant travels.

She didn't know if, once she managed to capture Dante's attention, she would have the strength to push him away. She liked him too much, and with her romantic mindset, it would be even more difficult.

"And your voice..."

"What's wrong with my voice?" Vane quickly interrupted.

"Your voice is still childish. You need to practice it, make it deeper. That way, it will sound more seductive."

The girl widened her eyes. What did she have to change to be a true Coldwell?

"I don't understand why we have to continue with this. It would be better to fall in love with a normal man, lead a common life with him."

"Haha, dear Vane, don't let your mother and grandmother hear you. What I can tell you about that is, a common man is boring. We make libertines pay while enjoying them. They are unfaithful, unrestrained, with very little morality, but that only increases their attractiveness."

Ideas swirled in Vanessa's mind. Her cousins did it for pleasure, but she did it because she felt obligated to.

Vane said goodbye later to return to her apartment. She would have liked to stay that night, but Dante would pick her up very early.

Upon arriving at the apartment, she took a bath, put on just a t-shirt, and fell deeply asleep. Later, she heard the doorbell ringing insistently. She quickly got up to see who it was.

Upon opening, she saw her boss in front of her. Dante's gaze went directly to her legs, and only then did the girl remember she was only in a t-shirt.

"I see you slept very well, Miss Sanders. Apparently, you forgot I told you we would leave very early. You have five minutes to get ready."

After saying this, without asking for permission, Dante walked past her and sat in the living room, waiting for her. Vane blushed; the shirt she was wearing didn't completely cover her buttocks. Dante discreetly observed her, thinking that the girl's body was well-proportioned.

Without saying a word, Vane quickly headed to her room. She had no idea exactly where in Italy they would go, so she decided to dress formally but still look sexy.

She chose a tight-fitting skirt, knee-length, with a pattern of small black and white squares. The black blouse had a neckline that hinted at her attributes. She wore high heels and tied her hair in a bun.

Dante thought the girl looked good in any outfit. Vanessa caught his attention undeniably, but he believed he had misjudged her. She wasn't as innocent as he had initially thought, especially after seeing her entering her apartment with a man.

"Ready, sir. We can go."

"Well, I thought we wouldn't leave here." Dante stood up, adjusting his shirt collar. He then walked to the exit, followed by Vane.

The chauffeur was already waiting for them in the parking lot. Seeing them arrive, he quickly opened the back door for the girl, and Dante got in beside her.

The two remained in complete silence during the journey to the airport. She pretended to focus on the scenery outside the window, and he leaned his head back on the seat, closing his eyes, inhaling the sweet scent coming from the girl.

Upon arriving at the airport, they headed to the private hangar. Dante's private plane awaited them. He thought the girl would be impressed by the luxury inside, but it seemed not to matter to her. Apparently, she wasn't a woman easily impressed.

He didn't know that she was accustomed to that kind of luxury; perhaps she hid her feelings very well.

Vane sat down, pretending to read a magazine. Dante, though there was much more space, sat across from her. He didn't want to stop breathing in that sweet fragrance that intoxicated him. The girl crossed her legs, and the skirt went up, showing a bit more than necessary. Dante's Adam's apple went up and down quickly. At that moment, a sexy flight attendant approached to see if he wanted anything, completely ignoring Vanessa.

"Would you like something, sir?" She said, flashing a sexy smile. Dante glanced at her, responding with a smile as well.

Shortly after, Vane noticed that Dante discreetly stood up from his seat. When she turned, she saw the flight attendant entering the room followed by her boss. She couldn't help it; she felt a strong pressure in her chest. Several possible images of what was happening inside crossed her mind.