Marked By The Mafia Lord (His Obsession)

Chapter4-HerRefusal,HisObsession

Elena could not sleep that night, she kept tossing and turning. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept seeing Giovanni, tall and commanding, standing in her bakery and asking her to marry him. He exuded a kind of confidence she had not seen. His gaze looked like he could see through her soul. Elena laid on her bed restless and before she knew it dawn crept in through her curtains. Her alarm went off, she turned it off without looking and lay still, staring at the ceiling. Her mind still replaying everything that transpired yesterday.

She was finally able to gather a little strength to stand up from her bed. She dragged herself to the kitchen to make herself a cup of really strong coffee, she needed something strong to help her start her day. Soon the smell of coffee filled her apartment. She sat at her kitchen table, hands around her mug, holding it tightly.

“Giovanni Morrano,” she whispered. The name had a certain kind of ring to it. It felt familiar like she had heard about it or seen it somewhere. She racked her memory trying to remember where she must have seen the name then it clicked.

Giovanni Morrano as in Morrano Enterprises, one of the largest and most powerful conglomerates in Europe. It was said that the current CEO was very ruthless and took over after his father died. Rumor had it that months after he took over he cleaned house, eliminating corrupt board members, enforcing brutal business reforms and reshaping the empire to being what it is today - powerful and untouchable. He was not just any CEO but a living legend, crushing anyone who stood in his way. Some said he had ties with the underworld and that he was the mafia that is why he was so untouchable and fearless.

Elena shivered. It could not possibly be him right. The Giovanni she met wasn’t a myth, he was a man, a dangerously handsome man but he was still a man. She tried to convince herself. But yet

His aura, his appearance and the way Lucas had acted like her refusal was a death sentence, his commanding presence. She shaked her head trying to get rid of the thought but it was all becoming clear to her. She took her phone, went online trying to look for a picture on Giovanni but she couldn’t find any because he didn’t like his picture being taken till she saw a very blurry picture of him and when she zoomed the person standing by his side was Lucas, her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. It was at that moment she came to the realization that indeed that man that stood in her bakery and proposed marriage to her, the man she just said no to was indeed The Giovanni Morrano of Morrano Enterprises.

“Oh my God, what did I just do?” she said to herself, pressing her palms against her temples. “You i***t”

She kept pacing around her living room. She didn’t know if she should be scared, she didn’t know how to feel exactly. She not only had a one night stand with one of the most dangerous men in Italy, she ran out on him, told his assistant that if he wanted to see her he should come by himself and she refused his proposal. Her heart was beating so fast and her hands were shaky. The worst part was the memory of how she had felt when he stood there in her bakery, the heat in his gaze and the danger in his voice when he said her name.

“No. Get a hold of yourself, Elena Blake. It wasn’t your fault, you did not know who he was” she gave herself a little pep talk. She has a bakery to open, flour to be measured and customers to greet. She thought if she kept moving maybe she could outrun the memory. So she went back to her room to shower, get dressed and head to her bakery downstairs.

GIOVANNI - Morrano Enterprises

The elevator doors to the top floor slid open and immediately Giovanni stepped out of the elevator a thick silence enveloped the building. Conversations died mid- word. Fingers froze on keyboards. Phones were picked on the first ring and no one dared make eye contact as Giovanni strode past, his coat like a shadow behind him. Inside his office he tossed his jacket onto the sofa in his office. He walked over to his table, took out a silver box from one of his drawers, pulled out a cigar and walked to the window of his office. He had the best view of Milan and it glittered beneath him. Looking at the city usually calms him down but today it wasn’t working. His mind wasn’t on the beautiful city but on a particular bakery with her, Elena Blake. The woman who had walked out of his bed and even had the audacity to tell him no.

His jaw tightened and his eyes darkened. He went back to his seat. He tapped a button on the intercom “Lucas, my office, now” he said with a commanding voice and within minutes Lucas was in his office awaiting the next instruction.

“Why are the reports late?”

Lucas hesitated. “They were delayed by an hour —“

“Unacceptable. I want them on my desk in 30 minutes. If it is even a minute after the 30 minutes timeline I will have the entire department replaced am I clear.” Giovanni said

“Yes boss” Lucas replied

“What about the Milan contract?”

“It’s nearly finalized. The project team is on it.” Lucas replied

“What do you mean ? Ask them to be in my office in the next five minutes with a very great presentation on how to finalize this contract”. He said to Lucas.

Lucas left the office and told the project team that the boss wanted them in his office in five minutes with a great pitch. “The boss isn’t in a very good mood so be prepared and tread with caution” Lucas advised.

At exactly five minutes, the head of the project department knocked on Giovanni’s office and entered alongside his team members. They saw Giovanni standing by his window with a glass of champagne in hand.

“You have 10 minutes to impress me,” Giovanni said in a commanding tone.

They were nervous and started the presentation but they made a lot of mistakes due to the tension. By the time they were done, they looked at Giovanni but he had no emotions or expression on his face.

“Is this what I pay you all for, this crappy bullshit. Out of my office now, useless. And by the way your bonuses for this year are withdrawn. Now get out” Giovanni said, pissed. Everyone left apart from Lucas

He knew he wasn’t angry because of the contract but because of Elena. She had left him thinking for two nights straight and it was not just about her body, but her resilience and her fire. Instead of her refusal to kill his interest, it made him want her more. A dangerous smile across his face.

She thought she could walk away and tell him no. She was wrong. She can only belong to him.