Ten Million Dollar Seduction Contract

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"No, Francesca! You’ve got it all wrong!” Marco De Luca stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. His round belly wobbled as he stood, attempting to placate the woman storming toward him. “This girl—she’s just a client, nothing more, I swear!”

Francesca’s face twisted with fury, her dark eyes narrowing into slits. “A client?” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “You really expect me to believe that? You cheating pig!” Her gaze flickered to the empty spot where Alessia had stood moments before.

Alessia was gone.

With the practiced grace of someone used to fleeing dangerous situations, Alessia had vanished the second Francesca’s fury ignited. She darted around the corner of the restaurant, heels clicking sharply against the pavement. Her heart raced, but her face remained calm as she slipped into an alley, catching her breath. Her chest heaved with adrenaline, but a slight smirk tugged at her lips.

“Grazie a Dio,” she muttered under her breath. “Lucky escape.”

Back at the restaurant, Francesca’s rage had reached its peak. “That strega!” she hissed, using the Italian word for witch. “If I’d gotten my hands on her, I would’ve torn her apart!” She spun back toward Marco, whose face had turned an ashen shade of terror.

“Francesca, please,” Marco pleaded, his voice quivering. “I wasn’t—”

“Shut up!” Francesca interrupted, her voice sharp as a blade. “You think I don’t know what you’ve been up to? Your ‘business meetings’ with every slut that comes your way?”

Her words cut deep, and Marco shrank back, utterly helpless under her wrath. Francesca opened the car door and shoved him inside, her face twisted with disgust. “You worthless fool. If I hadn’t been warned, I’d never have known. But trust me, Marco, this is the last time. Next time, I’ll handle it myself.” She slammed the door, her nails digging into her palm, before driving off in a screech of tires.

A few streets away, Alessia checked her phone.

The screen lit up with a name she hated seeing. It was the man who’d hired her for the job—the same man who now expected results. Her heart sank. She knew what was coming.

She reluctantly answered, holding the phone to her ear.

“Did you get the job done?” The voice on the other end was cold, dangerous.

Alessia’s smirk faltered. “I had a little... complication. His wife showed up. But I—”

“You incompetent fool!” the man snarled, cutting her off. “You think I’m paying you for excuses? You didn’t even get close to him, did you? Useless! Don’t bother asking for the rest of the money, because you’re not getting a cent!”

Before she could respond, the line went dead. Alessia lowered the phone slowly, her jaw clenched in frustration.

“Farabutto,” she muttered bitterly. “Scoundrel.” Her fingers tightened around the phone. “It’s your father I’ll seduce next, you bastard.”

But as the sting of failure settled in, a weight heavier than her frustration pressed on her chest. Her grandmother. She closed her eyes, picturing her fragile, bedridden grandmother hooked up to countless machines. The surgery was only days away, and Alessia had already used the advance payment to cover the hospital bills. But without the rest, she was out of options. The bills were piling up, and the surgery couldn’t wait.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Laura—her closest friend and only confidante. Alessia sighed and answered.

“Hey, did you manage to get the job done?” Laura’s voice was light, unaware of the disaster that had unfolded.

Alessia bit her lip, her voice betraying the tension she tried to suppress. “I’ll explain everything when I get back.”

She checked the contents of her handbag—fifty dollars. Just enough for a cab ride, but not enough to make a dent in her real problems.

Shaking her head, Alessia flagged down a cab and climbed in. As she sank into the worn leather seat, she gave the driver the hospital address where her grandmother lay.

The ride was quiet, her mind swirling with the mess her life had become. Seduction, deceit, running from one disaster to the next—it was exhausting. She couldn’t keep this up, but what choice did she have?

When the cab pulled up to the hospital entrance, the driver glanced back at her. “That’ll be forty dollars, ma’am.”

Alessia’s stomach twisted. “Forty? Are you serious?” She rifled through her bag and counted out thirty dollars, handing it over reluctantly.

The driver blinked at the money in his hand, then back at her. “Uh, ma’am, I said forty.”

Alessia leaned back against the seat, her expression bored. “And you didn’t take me to ward 4, did you? That’s another ten steps I’ll have to take on foot, so I’ll keep my ten dollars, thanks.”

The driver stared at her, baffled. “But... you gave me this address...”

Alessia raised an eyebrow. “Look, do you want the thirty or not? Because I can always take it back.”

Muttering under his breath, the driver pocketed the money and sped off. Alessia watched him go, unable to hold back a laugh. “Crazy woman!” he yelled as he drove away.

Her laughter faded as she approached the hospital doors. The reality of her situation weighed heavily on her shoulders. She used the remaining twenty dollars to buy a burger for her grandmother, knowing it was a small comfort in a world filled with overwhelming problems.

Inside, the nurse greeted her warmly. “Alessia, you’re back! How’s everything?”

Alessia forced a smile. “You know me. Always hustling.”

The nurse gave her a sympathetic look. “Your grandmother’s stable for now, but... well, the surgery’s coming up soon.”

“I know,” Alessia murmured, her chest tightening. She walked down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hospital as she approached her grandmother’s room.

Inside, her grandmother lay still, connected to beeping machines. Laura, pacing near the foot of the bed, rushed over the moment Alessia stepped in.

“Alessia!” Laura whispered urgently, relief flooding her features. “Thank God you’re here. I was so worried.”

Alessia hugged her tightly, trying to find some comfort in the embrace. “I’m sorry I was late. Let’s go outside and talk.”

Laura nodded, and together they stepped into the hallway, leaving the hushed room behind.

At the hospital cafeteria, they found a quiet corner to sit.

Laura’s eyes were wide with concern. “What happened?” she asked softly. “Did you get the money?”

Alessia stared down at the table, her fingers tracing patterns on the surface. “It was a disaster. His wife showed up, and I barely made it out. I didn’t get the password... and I didn’t get the money.”

Laura’s face fell. “Oh no, Alessia... what are you going to do?”

Alessia leaned back in her chair, exhaustion written all over her face. “I don’t know. But I need to figure it out fast. My grandmother’s life depends on it.”