MAFIA BOSS BECOMES MY PET

MAFIA BOSS BECOMES MY PET EPISODE 1: THE DEVIL IN A BLACK SUIT The night I met Alessandro Moretti, I lost my job, discovered that monsters were real, and became the unwanted guest of the most dangerous man in Italy. All in one night. My name is Elena Rose Whitmore, and at twenty-two, I had absolutely nothing figured out. My bank account was nearly empty, my rent was overdue, and my boss had just fired me for burning an entire tray of expensive pastries. “You’re finished here, Elena!” Mr. Romano shouted. I removed my apron and placed it on the counter. “Fine. Your pastries were dry anyway.” His mouth fell open. I hurried out before he could respond. Outside, rain poured over the streets of Florence. I pulled my thin jacket around myself and checked my phone, hoping for a miracle. Instead, I found a message from an unknown number. STOP SEARCHING FOR YOUR FATHER. Beneath the message was a photograph of a silver necklace. My mother wore that necklace every day until she died two years ago. After her funeral, it disappeared from our apartment. My heart pounded. My father had vanished twelve years earlier. My mother never explained what happened to him, but before she died, she gave me one warning. “If anyone asks about the necklace, Elena, run. Don't ask questions. Just run.” I had always thought she was being paranoid. Now I wasn't so sure. A black Mercedes stopped beside the pavement. Its rear window lowered, revealing a man dressed in a dark suit. “Miss Whitmore?” I stepped backward. “Who wants to know?” “My employer would like to speak with you.” “Tell him I'm busy.” The man opened the car door. I turned to leave, only to collide with someone standing behind me. “Careful.” A deep voice made me look up. The man before me was tall, handsome, and impeccably dressed. His black hair was neatly styled, and his silver-grey eyes held a strange, unsettling calmness. He looked like the sort of man who could purchase an entire city and become irritated if someone questioned the price. “Alessandro Moretti,” he introduced himself. I folded my arms. “Should that mean something to me?” His driver stared at me in horror. Alessandro, however, smiled. “Most people know my name.” “Congratulations to them.” His smile widened slightly. “You're either very brave or very foolish.” “I'm unemployed and broke. I don't have enough energy to be afraid of strangers.” He laughed quietly. Then his expression changed. “Have you received any messages about your father?” My amusement disappeared. “How do you know about him?” “Because the people searching for him have started searching for you.” I stared at him, suddenly aware of how deserted the street had become. “Is my father alive?” “I don't know.” “Then why should I trust you?” “You shouldn't.” His honesty surprised me. Before I could ask another question, a deafening crash echoed from the end of the street. The streetlights flickered. A motorcycle lay overturned beside a parked vehicle, but its rider was nowhere to be seen. Then something moved in the darkness. It was tall, thin, and shaped like a human being made entirely of smoke. Two red lights burned where its eyes should have been. I stopped breathing. “What is that?” I whispered. Alessandro stepped in front of me. “Stay behind me.” The creature moved closer. A voice whispered through the rain. “Whitmore.” My knees nearly gave way. It knew my name. Alessandro pulled a silver dagger from inside his jacket. Strange symbols glowed along its blade, illuminating his face with a pale blue light. I stared at him. “Why is your knife glowing?” “Please be quiet.” “Your knife is literally glowing!” The creature lunged. Alessandro swung the dagger, releasing a flash of blue light that illuminated the entire street. The shadow shrieked, and the windows of nearby buildings shattered. I stumbled against a wall. Pain suddenly shot through my right palm. I looked down. A crescent moon surrounded by seven tiny stars had appeared on my skin. The symbol matched the one engraved on my mother's missing necklace. The creature recoiled. Then its voice entered my mind. THE LAST HEIR HAS AWAKENED. The shadow dissolved into the darkness. Silence followed. Alessandro turned toward me. For the first time, the feared man looked genuinely frightened. “What is your name?” he demanded. I stared at him. “You already know my name!” “Your full name.” “Elena Rose Whitmore. Why?” He closed his eyes briefly. “No. This cannot be happening.” I grabbed his sleeve. “Stop talking to yourself and explain what just happened!” He looked at my palm. “Your father was the guardian of an ancient magical gateway. His disappearance left something unfinished, and that mark means the responsibility has passed to you.” I laughed nervously. “That's ridiculous.” “Magic exists, Elena.” “Then perhaps you should use some magic to explain yourself properly!” Despite the danger, he almost smiled. “You talk too much.” “And you explain too little.” For several seconds, we stared at each other. Then Alessandro took off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. “Come with me.” “Where?” “My home.” “Absolutely not.” “Someone just tried to kill you.” “Something tried to kill me! I don't even know what it was!” “Exactly. Which is why you need protection.” I wanted to argue, but another glance at the darkness made my decision easier. I entered the car. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at an enormous mansion overlooking Florence. Tall iron gates opened automatically, revealing beautiful gardens, marble fountains, and armed guards standing beside the entrance. I looked at Alessandro. “Are you a mafia boss?” He removed his gloves. “What gave it away?” “The guards. The mysterious weapon. Your suspicious car. Your complete lack of normal explanations.” “Then I suppose there's no point denying it.” My mouth fell open. “You actually admit it?” “I don't lie about things that are already obvious.” Before I could respond, the car stopped. A woman wearing an elegant black dress hurried toward us. “Welcome home, Mr. Moretti. We weren't expecting you tonight.” “Prepare the east guest suite,” he instructed. “And contact Dr. Laurent.” Her eyes moved toward me. “Who is she?” Alessandro looked at me before answering. “Elena Whitmore. She'll be staying here.” I immediately turned toward him. “Excuse me? Nobody agreed to that!” “You can leave tomorrow morning.” “Good. Because I intend to.” “Excellent.” He walked toward the entrance without another word. I followed him, furious. Inside, the mansion was even more impressive. Crystal chandeliers hung above polished marble floors, and enormous paintings covered the walls. Everything looked expensive, beautiful, and completely unwelcoming. Alessandro stopped beside a staircase. “One rule, Elena.” I sighed. “Of course there's a rule.” “Never enter the eastern wing after midnight.” I frowned. “Why?” His silver eyes met mine. “Because some things are better left asleep.” He walked away before I could question him. That night, I lay awake in the luxurious guest bedroom, staring at the strange symbol on my palm. I had lost my job, my home, and my peace of mind. Now I was living in the mansion of a mafia boss who believed in magic and refused to explain anything properly. I should have hated Alessandro Moretti. Instead, I found myself wondering what secrets he was hiding behind those cold silver eyes. Then, at exactly midnight, three knocks sounded against my bedroom door. I sat up. “Who is it?” Nobody answered. The door slowly opened. A small black cat entered the room, carrying something shiny in its mouth. My mother's silver necklace. I rushed toward it, but the cat darted into the corridor. “Hey! Come back!” I followed it down the hallway, past several closed doors, until it stopped before a set of enormous double doors. The eastern wing. The cat dropped the necklace. Then it spoke. “Don't let him wake up.” I froze. The cat looked directly at me with glowing silver eyes. Behind the doors, something enormous growled. And a man's voice whispered from the darkness. “Bring me the girl.” END OF EPISODE 1