The Mafia King's Contract Bride

Chapter 13

DAMIAN

Matteo walked into my office without a single knock and I knew immediately that something was off. I frowned as I turned towards him.

“There is something called knocking, Matteo,” I said sternly but he didn't react.

“Someone had been in her room,” he said instead and I finally looked at him.

“Hmm,” I said after a few seconds. “Anything remarkable?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Just pictures of her mum, packaged neatly.”

I turned back towards my laptop, Someone was operating from this house and had used that proximity to sneak into my bride's room to scare her off. I scoffed then, suddenly feeling sorry for whoever it was.

“Pull the footage,” I finally said to him. “Everything.”

“Yes boss.” He made to walk out, but–

“Matteo,” I called and I felt him stop. “Who told you?” The room went silent for three whole seconds and that was when I turned, my impatience visible.

“She did,” he started and I raised a brow. “She told Christy and me.”

“Hmm, I see my bride tells you things now huh?” I said and turned towards the laptop again, he didn't leave.

“It was Christy and I—”

“Get the footage Matteo,” I cut him off, and that was when he left.

********

I reviewed the footage minutes later, frame by frame, from the time of the event till this minute. I saw the figure in the corridor and clicked then. He moved like someone who knew exactly where they were going and exactly how long they had, his face deliberately angled away from the camera. I clicked on the next camera and that was when I noticed it, the figure was gone and there was not even a single trace of him. The camera was interrupted.

“Hmm,” I hummed and sat back and looked at the camera for a long time, this meant one thing. Whoever it was, they operated from this building, they knew where the camera room was and how exactly they could mess with it.

We had a little traitor and I was already getting excited about dealing with the bastard.

I picked up my phone then. “Be here in 5 seconds,” I said and dropped my phone, my eyes still on the camera. Matteo walked in at exactly five seconds, his face still held something from our last discussion.

“Change nothing,” I finally said and he relaxed. "Say nothing and move nothing," I looked at him steadily. "Whoever it was believes they haven't been noticed and I want them to keep believing that.”

“And if they don't move again?”

"They will," I said. "Comfortable people always do. And when they do, I want to be the only thing waiting on the other side of it,” I said and he nodded, understanding immediately what I meant. “And,” I said when he made to leave. “Get me her records,” I said and slid a key towards him. “Everything.”

He looked at the key, then at me before he nodded. “On it.”

**********

I looked at the files Matteo had brought almost an hour ago. Her academic files and her birth files, that was all that was found. There was not a single work file which surprised me because her academic records were great, surprisingly great even. I hummed in satisfaction as I went through each and every one of them. My bride wasn't dumb after all, and she could be of use, I thought then, and an idea suddenly popped up in my head. I closed the files then, a decision already made before the two deliberate knocks sounded.

“Matteo,” I called out and he walked in.

“Christy just got off the phone with me,” he started but paused.

“And?”

“They were being followed,” he landed and I pulled the drawer open before dropping the files inside.

Christy had told me about taking Seraphina out for shopping, ranting about how she needed to look like a De Luca all the time and I had agreed but on the condition that she'd go with security. Apparently, she didn't listen.

“No security?” I asked, though I already knew the answer to that question.

“No, they went alone.”

“Hmm. Did she see the stalker?”

“Not really,” he started and I looked at him.

“I don't work with not really, Matteo,” I reminded him but he continued.

“Just enough to see that it was a man and that the car had no plates,” he paused and looked at me. “Christy noticed first and got them out safely before she made the call. They are on their way home now, neither was harmed.”

“And Seraphina?” I suddenly asked and something shifted briefly in his expression.

"Shaken," he finally said. "Christy managed to keep it calm but—" another pause. "She was scared, boss.”

“I see,” I said and turned towards the window, suddenly noticing how bad the weather was.

"Make sure they get in safely," I said. "And find out whose car it was.”

Matteo nodded and left, I stood up then and walked towards the window and looked out, checking if I would see anything. My phone buzzed then and I picked it up.

“Yes,” I said but the line remained silent, just long enough for Christy's car, which had just pulled in at that moment, to get in.

“Hello De Luca,” the voice finally said but my eyes were on the two ladies. One normal, like what they had experienced wasn't a new thing and the other, looking worse than what Matteo had told me.

“I do hope your bride enjoyed her time in the city today,” he paused again, this time longer than the last. “It's a shame it was cut short,” he concluded and the line went dead.

Vincenzo.