CRAVED BY MY EX'S MAFIA FATHER

Five

I snapped.

The room was suffocating with Adrian’s accusing glare on one side, Ricardo’s unreadable stare on the other. Both of them were staring at me like I was some prize they could fight over. My chest tightened, my patience shredded apart, and before I could stop myself, the words came spilling out.

“Enough!” My voice cracked through the silence like a whip. Both men froze, startled by the sudden edge in my tone.

“I am not your possession, neither of you. So stop dragging me into whatever twisted father and son feud you have going on. Stay away from me. Both of you.”

I didn’t wait for their reaction. My legs carried me out of the mansion as fast as I could move, my heels striking the marble like gunshots. I didn’t look back because if I did, I knew I’d see them still watching me, Ricardo with that maddening calm, Adrian with that burning jealousy.

By the time I got back to the office, my head was pounding. I dropped my bag onto my desk and slumped into my chair, trying to steady my breathing. But before I could even let out one breath of relief…

“Nina.”

I jerked my head up. My boss, Mr. Carson, was standing at his door, one hand tucked into his pocket, his expression unreadable. That was never a good sign.

“Come into my office.”

I swallowed hard and forced myself up. My legs felt like jelly as I walked in, and the moment the door clicked shut, the lecture began.

“So,” Mr. Carson said, folding his arms, “you had your one in a lifetime opportunity. An exclusive interview with Ricardo Moretti, the most feared man in this city. And yet, I have nothing on my desk. Not a headline. Not a story. Not even a goddamn quote since the first and second meeting.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. What could I possibly say? Sorry, I couldn’t get an interview because the man who wants to claim me as his own happens to be my ex’s father?

“I—It’s complicated,” I managed.

“Complicated?” He leaned forward, his voice sharp.

“This is journalism, Nina. We don’t deal with complicated things. We deal in results. You begged for a big assignment. You told me you were the only one bold enough to handle it.” He let out a harsh laugh.

“So where are my results?” I clenched my fists, feeling small under his gaze.

“I just need more time,” I whispered.

Mr. Carson studied me for a long moment. Then he leaned back in his chair.

“Fine. You have two weeks. If I don’t have a story worth publishing by then, you’re out. No promotion. No job. Nothing.”

The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. Two weeks. That was all I had left to either make my career or destroy it.

“Understood,” I forced out, though my throat felt dry.

He waved me off, already reaching for his phone. “Get out. And don’t come back without news.”

I stumbled back to my desk, my pulse still racing. My best friend, Lila, slid into the chair beside mine the moment I sat down. She was grinning, her curiosity practically glowing in her eyes.

“Well? How was it?” she asked, lowering her voice. “You met Ricardo Moretti, didn’t you? What’s he like? Did he threaten you? Did he give you that mafia glare?”

I pressed my lips together, torn between laughing and crying. “It was kinda intense,” I admitted.

Her eyes widened. “Spill.”

I hesitated. I couldn’t tell her everything especially not about Ricardo claiming me, not about Adrian storming in like a jealous ex boyfriend. But the truth gnawed at me until I let a piece of it slip.

“It turns out he’s Adrian’s father,” I whispered.

Lila’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what? Adrian’s dad is the Ricardo Moretti?”

I nodded weakly. “Yeah. Which makes this entire thing ten times harder. My boss wants a story that could make or break my career, and instead, I’m stuck in this bizarre mess between a man I used to date and his father.”

She blinked, stunned, then leaned closer. “So what are you going to do?”

I buried my face in my hands. “I don’t know.”

The weight of it pressed down on me until a sudden noise outside the office broke the moment. Raised voices. Shuffling. The sharp, annoyed tone of the receptionist echoing down the hall.

Lila and I exchanged a look, then jumped up.

At the front desk, my heart nearly stopped. Adrian was there his hand pressed firmly against the counter, his voice raised as he argued with the receptionist.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, pushing through the small crowd that had formed. My stomach twisted with confusion and frustration.

Adrian’s head snapped toward me, his expression wild, possessive, desperate.

And then before he could answer an engine roared outside.

Through the glass doors, a sleek black convoy of cars pulled up to the company driveway, luxury vehicles, polished to a mirror shine, their presence alone enough to send a chill through the entire floor.

My breath caught. My coworkers froze. Lila grabbed my wrist.

“What’s happening?” she whispered.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because in my gut, I already knew this wasn’t just a coincidence.

“Did you do this? Are you trying to ruin my career?” I turned to Adrian angrily.

“We dated for years…” I glared at him asking him to shut up.

And whoever was in those cars was either because of the hell i just found myself in or something that can ruin me or probably Ricardo!!!