A Deal With Mr Kane

Contract

Alessia's POV

"His private residence?" I asked, staring at Francis, certain I had misheard him.

He looked up from his tablet and nodded calmly, acting as though being invited to the home of the richest man in New York was the most normal thing in the world.

My stomach tightened immediately.

I had been so convinced we were heading to Kane Capital that I had spent the entire ride imagining walking into a sleek office building with intimidating employees who probably earned more money in a week than I had in a year.

Now I was apparently going to Sebastian Kane's house.

I immediately looked down at myself and sighed heavily. The fitted dress I had gotten from Kate suddenly felt too formal. It was professional enough for an office, but was it appropriate for someone's house?

As if sensing my turmoil, Francis paused, turned to me, and gave a reassuring smile. "If you are worried about your outfit, don't be. There's no such thing as overdressed when it comes to Sebastian Kane."

My worry lessened instantly. That was the kind of reassurance I needed. Giving him a thankful smile, I turn my head and focus on the road.

The closer we got to his house, the more obvious the differences became.

It was my first time in the Upper East Side and oh my f*****g goodness! Where did these people get all their money from?

The area was filled with houses... no, mansions that belonged to people who probably came from old money or had built an empire for themselves.

Compared to where I lived in the South Bronx, this place was heaven.

It had now become more than clear to me that if not for the cleaning job at the hotel, I would have never met Sebastian Kane.

Never.

We were from different worlds.

The only reason our paths had crossed was that I happened to be cleaning a hotel room at the wrong time. Or maybe the right time. I still wasn't sure.

Another thought suddenly entered my mind.

If Sebastian owned a house like the one Francis was describing, why had he been staying at the hotel? The question had been bothering me since yesterday.

Why spend thousands of dollars on a penthouse suite when you already have a home? Whatever the reason was, I decided I would ask him eventually. I wasn't sure I would be able to sleep if I didn't get the question off my chest.

Once something bothers me, it becomes all I can think about until I find a solution.

The ride continued for almost another hour thanks to the ever-annoying NYC traffic,

After a while, the buildings become larger apart due to the massive piece of land each of these rich folks used to build their houses.

I pressed my face to the car, my mouth wide open as I watched the houses. Some were so large, they looked more like private resorts than homes.

At some point, the buildings became larger and farther apart. The roads grew quieter and the houses became so extravagant they looked like something out of a movie.

After a few minutes, the car slows down in front of a big black gate and without anyone coming to speak to us, the gate opens.

Of course! An electric gate!

Pfft. Rich people...

As soon as the car drove into what seemed to be Mr Kane's compound, my jaw nearly hit the floor. "Oh my God." The words escaped before I could stop them.

The house standing before us was enormous.

No. House wasn't the right word. It looked like a mansion.

The building was built on a massive piece of land and the exteriors combined modern architecture with an impeccable taste of luxury, befitting of a man of Mr Kane's status.

I had never seen anything like it before.

Not in real life and most definitely not in Italy as my parents weren't rich enough to get a house there or even take us around houses like this.

For several seconds, I simply stared. My brain refused to accept that one person actually lived there.

Francis chuckled beside me when he saw me ogling shamelessly.

"Don't worry, Ma'am. It has that effect on people."

I tore my eyes away from the mansion. "What?" I asked and his smile widened.

"Most people react the same way."

I looked back at the property. "I can't imagine living here."

Francis laughed again. "Save that reaction for when you see the inside." He said and my eyes widened yet again.

"There's more?" I ask and he nods.

"Much better." His grin answered before his words did.

A few moments later, the car rolled through the gates and came to a stop near the entrance.

The driver opened the door and I stepped out slowly. My heels clicked against the stone driveway as I stared up at the massive building.

The closer I got, the more unreal it looked.

Every detail screamed wealth and power. I started to wonder what my life would look like if I lived in a house like this.

Fucking hell!

Breaking me out of my reverie, Francis taps me. "Come on."

The moment we stepped inside, every thought in my head disappeared.

Francis was so right!

The interior was breathtaking. It had this mind-blowing mix of modern features and old money vibe. The entire space felt luxurious without being excessive.

I turned slowly in a circle, ignoring the fact that my lips seemed to have forgotten how to keep shut. . "This can't be real."

Francis laughed. "As much as I want you to look around the house, we have to go now." He said, smiling apologetically.

"Mr Kane is waiting." He informed and I tensed up immediately.

"But, if we finish on time, I can give you a tour of the house. You look like you would want that."

"Thank you," I say immediately before he changes his mind.

After almost five minutes of walking, we eventually stopped in front of a large door and then Francis knocked once before opening the door.

The moment we stepped inside, my eyes widened. The room alone was bigger than my entire apartment.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined one wall while enormous windows overlooked the city. A seating area occupied one corner and a massive desk sat near the center of the room.

Behind it sat Sebastian Kane who didn't even notice us at first as his attention was fixed entirely on the laptop in front of him.

His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard while documents covered multiple screens around him.

I couldn't help staring. How had he managed to leave the hotel, come home, change clothes, and start working before I even arrived?

The man genuinely seemed incapable of slowing down.

A voice tells ,me that is exactly why he is the richest man in the city but my lazy ass pushes the voice to the back of my head.

Francis cleared his throat after a few seconds, announcing his presence. Then, Mr Kane finally looked up. His eyes landed on Francis first, hooded but when they shifted to me, relief flashed in them.

"I was hoping you would come." He said, looking pleased, and then, his lips twitched into a small smile. For some reason, that tiny almost-smile made him look far more attractive than he should have.

Sebastian stood from behind his desk and my breath caught slightly as he approached. The expensive suit fit him perfectly and somehow made him look even more intimidating than usual.

His eyes swept over me slowly and the attention made me suddenly aware of every inch of my body.

"You look different from the hotel." He said in an undetectable tone, confusing me further.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I ask quickly and his gaze meets mine yet again.

"A good thing." He replies and I immediately hate how relieved I felt.

I shouldn't let this man have a say in whether I looked good or not, yet I was smiling like an i***t hearing how he felt about my dress.

His eyes briefly moved over the dress again and he nodded in satisfaction. "You look like someone ready to be my secretary."

I snorted. "Pretend secretary, you mean?"

His lips curved slightly. "Of course." .

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself. I only dressed like this because I thought I was going to Kane Capital." I said, folding my arms.

"It doesn't matter." The confidence in his voice was annoying. "You still took it seriously."

Before I could respond, he gestured toward the seating area. "Have a seat."

I hesitated briefly before sitting on one of the sofas. Sebastian took the seat opposite me and for a few seconds, silence settled between us.

Then I finally asked the question that had been bothering me. "Why did you bring me here?"

His expression remained calm. "What do you mean?"

"Why couldn't we have this conversation at Kane Capital?"

Something flashed in his eyes. Without answering immediately, he stood and walked toward a cabinet near his desk. A few seconds later, he returned carrying a thick file.

Curiosity immediately stirred inside me as Sebastian sat down and placed the file on the coffee table between us.

Then he pushed it toward me.

I frowned. "What is it?"

"Open it."

My curiosity got worse. Slowly, I reached forward and picked up the file.

The moment I opened it, my eyes widened as I saw that the word CONTRACT was printed boldly across the first page.

I looked up immediately. "A contract?"

Sebastian nodded, then his expression turned serious. "I'm a very thorough man, Miss Lopez."

I swallowed.

Something told me I wasn't going to like where this conversation was headed.

"If I'm going to entrust my chances of acquiring Torres Resorts to you," he continued calmly, "then I intend to do it properly."