My Best friend's Father Made Me His Mistress

2

Adonis Praxis Edward.

Imagine leaving a board meeting where I decide which countries get to arm their militaries this quarter—to instead, deal with the gutter rats who thought stealing from my shipments was a good idea. The interrogation took longer than expected. I had to change my shoes twice cause blood soaks through Italian leather faster than you’d think.

I hate thieves. I hate liars. And most of all, I hate inconveniences.

I am Adonis Edward IV, heir to the Praxis Empire. The world calls us royalty, but those who truly know power understand that Vanguard Holdings is my creation. Despite owning multiplex numbers of businesses, the empire I enjoy the most is Nanotech…where I manufacture guns that men are stupid enough to steal.

"Dad?" Fusia, my twin daughter calls after me.

She is the only person on this earth I tolerate interrupting me. I glance at my Rolex and check for stains of blood before I touch her.

“Darling.”

“Dad, my friend needs help. Some men kidnapped her just a moment ago!”

Fusia steps aside and reveals the trembling little thing clinging to her hand. Ah. Maddison Lorenzo. The moment she sees me, her fingers slip from Fusia’s. An adorable hiccup leaves her throat and those blue f*****g eyes widen like I pulled a trigger.

Heaven must be outsourcing angels these days. If those hiccups mean nerves, they’re the prettiest nerves I’ve ever seen. Every sharp pulse of her breath makes her chest lift high enough for any man to notice there’s no bra under that thin excuse for a shirt. Dark curls frame a face so innocent it’s offensive. A button nose. Lips bitten raw from panic.

The Lorenzo brothers are absolute fools to run and leave a creature like this behind

“Maddy? Come on, speak to my dad. He’s going to help you.” Fusia turns back to her friend, but the worms’ lip stay sealed. How could she speak when the man who sent his people to take her is standing right in front of her? Because my men drove away, did she really think they were gone for good?

Aww… look at that. Doesn’t it seem so perfectly fated that she brought herself straight into my house? And now I know she’s friends with my daughter.

“What happened, child? You can speak to me.”

I slide one hand out of my pocket and take a step forward. The worm steps back.

“Mr. Adonis is speaking to you. You will reply at once!” Estella hisses at my side and I turn my eyes on her, so that the disapproval in my stare shuts her mouth fast.

“Sorry, sir.” she stammers. “I didn’t know if we should have let her inside. Miss Fusia made it impossible to say no—”

“She is our guest. It’s cold outside so of course you should let her in. It seems something… traumatic happened to her tonight. Go prepare a room for her to stay at once.”

“No, I—” the worm hiccups. “I shouldn’t stay here—”

“What are you talking about?” Fusia spins. “This is the safest place you could possibly be. Do you think those idiots would dare come here? We have hundreds of guards just at the gate.”

“Yes, Fusia is right.” I try not to laugh. “Uh, Fusia, go help Estella with your friend’s bag. I’m guessing she packed in a rush. We’ll arrange to get the rest and I’ll have the police here in the morning. For now, let me speak with her.”

“Of course, Daddy.”

Fusia hugs her friend tight, and the dear Maddison clings like she doesn’t want to let go. Seconds later, we are alone and the moment that registers, the girl starts to panic.

She moves back fast until her spine hits the wall before I’ve even taken a single step. I close the distance and her blue eyes go wide…so wide I can see my own reflection in them.

“Sir, please. I’m sorry. Please forgive me, I—”

“Stop talking and listen.”

Again, her chest rises and my eyes levels to the tempting cleavage. I take note then force our eyes to meet again.

“You’ve fooled me twice already. First, you lied about not knowing how to dance. Then you ran when I told you to stay put.”

“I know. I know, and I’ll never do it again. Pleaseee….”

“Usually, I give men one chance and then I end them after they fail—”

I drag a hand across my brow when she starts interrupting me with the sound of her sob.

“Shut your mouth. I hate the sound of crying. You’re cute but not that cute that I’ll let you stand here and weep in my face.”

She stifles it quickly.

“I don’t hurt little girls young enough to be my daughter but if you fool me again…I will punish you so bad that by the time I’m done, you won’t remember your own name, let alone the difference between dawn and midnight. You will stay in my home until further notice. You’ll stay for as long as I ask you to stay and you will be happy about it.”

When she doesn’t answer, I reach for her chin.

The moment my fingers touch her skin, her knees buckle like a marionette with cut strings. My hand snaps to her waist to haul her upright but the sudden proximity presses something of mine against her belly. Her eyes widen.

I’m surprised too by the twitch between my legs but I’m good at hiding things.

She is a young girl, not even close to the age range that usually catches my eye. Making her dance at the club was purely punitive, not even punishment. It was a consequence for her lying.

“You go to college?” I use words to mask the groan I swallow back.

“Yes, sir.”

“What college?”

“Iv...Ivy league.”

I nod. Fusia goes to the same school. That’s convenient.

“If you got into League, then you must be brilliant… hmm?”

She is too afraid to speak again.

“When the police will come, you’ll tell them you were kidnapped. You’ll tell them what happened except for the part where you saw my face. Of course, the police already know it’s me but in case Fusia is present, you’ll keep that pretty mouth shut. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

There’s already space between us by the time Fusia comes back in.

“The room is ready. Maddy were you crying again?” My daughter uses the sleeve of her sweater to wipe at the friend’s damp cheek.

“She’s decided to stay with us.” I announce just as Estella re-enters. "We'll host her until I personally deal with those animals who tried to harm her. Estella, make sure to attend to her every need.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you very much, sir.” The worm whispers this without lifting her gaze.

“Dad, you’re the best.” Fusia presses a sticky glossed kiss to my cheek before leading her friend out of the room.

I watch until they disappear down the hall. Now this isn’t exactly the arrangement I would’ve chosen but I’m missing eighty kilos of NeonGuns, a billion Euros shipment from my warehouse. These are guns no little worm could ever pay for even if I sold her.

So what do I need? I need her brothers who are my only leads and hopefully, for her own sake, they love her enough to care that I have her in my hands.

Next Morning

"Any other family the Lorenzo brothers have so I can hold them captive?" I rub my temples after pulling an all-nighter to clean up the financial mess they created.

"None, sir." Reynold slides a file across my desk. "But it seems the Maddy girl has a boyfriend according to some boy who posted her a month ago."

I glance at the picture in it. Cute. Really cute. My eyes roll.

"If she has a boyfriend, why call Fusia first?"

That’s not a question Reynold can answer. Just a thought to myself.

“Dad?” Myron…my son, Fusia’s twin walks into my office. “Who’s the girl I just saw with Fusia this early? Don’t tell me you’ve got a secret love child we didn’t know about."

"Does she look like me or your mother?" I don’t even lift my eyes from the papers as I answer. He should be at business school, the one I pay for instead of throwing jokes in my office.

“Oh, good cause she’s strikingly beautiful—”

“Sir, the cops are five minutes away on the private road.” Reynold says.

“Good. Tell Estella to bring the girl to my office immediately.” Then I swing my gaze to Myron. “You, get out.”

I move to the sitting area of my office, where a table sits surrounded by four close-set couches. Estella walks in with a tray of tea and at her side is Maddison.

I look up briefly from the newspaper, pretending she’s nothing but it’s hard when I see a pink hairband on her hair that demands attention. She's paler this morning and her face is carefully angled downward to avoid meeting my gaze.

Estella sets the tray down and leaves.

“Have a cup of tea so you can calm those nerves before the cops arrive.”

Her fingers tremble as they reach for the cup. I watch in silence until the cup tips over the saucer and streams down straight onto my thigh.

“Ah—f**k!”

It sizzles.

“I—I’m sorry.” She rushes to her knees, yanks off the band from her hair and starts wiping at the hot stain at my thigh. Her fingers slide farther than they should, brushing where no girl her age should even come close.

I clamp my hand around her wrist and still her movement of force that makes her head snap up to look at me.

“I gave you a night to think about how you’d find your brother and you spent it planning how to seduce me?”

“That’s not—”

“Not? Did your f*****g brothers put you up to this? Do they think spreading their sister’s legs will clear out a billion-dollar shipment they stole me." I grab her hand.

“No! No, sir! I swear—I was just nervous!”

“Nervous!? Do I look like I was born yesterday!? You little—" I release her with a shove that sends her bent against my desk.

"That’s for spilling piping hot tea on me and ruining a ten-thousand-dollar pant. Try this again, and I'll blow your pretty head into bubbles. Then I'll hunt down your brothers and hand them what's left of you in a box."

My fingers go to my belt and her eyes splits with terror. Foolish girl, I’m only going to change my pants she stained. As if I will ever find pleasure in a thief’s sister.