The Mafia's Secretary

Evelina stood in front of the tall glass building, holding her leather bag a little too tightly. Her reflection was staring back at her from the tinted windows; big brown eyes, fair skin and dark hair which she had pulled into a ponytail. There was too much nervousness in her expression, but she sighed heavily in an attempt to steady her racing heart. She took one last look at herself again, straightening out her black pencil skirt. She wanted everything to be perfect because she had come this far to lose the job. She readjusted the collars of her blouse. It was crisp white, a little too tight, and she hated how it hugged her chest but right now, she didn’t care. She needed this job more than she cared about how she looked. Her heels clicked nervously against the marble tiles as she walked through the revolving doors. The receptionist barely looked up. "Mr. Valtoris will see you now. Top floor." Evelina didn’t know what to expect only that people spoke about Cassiel Valtoris like he was some sort of devil in human form. The man who ran the biggest media empire in the city. He was cold, brutal, rich beyond imagination and he never hired women as his secretaries. So why was she here? Because she needed the job, no matter the cost. This was her one shot to escape all she's been struggling with and provide a better life for her ailing sister, even if it meant facing the devil himself. She rode the elevator in silence, trying so hard to look confident but the truth was, she was shaking inside. Cassiel Valtoris. The name rang in her head like a bell. Was he really as bad as they say? The panel inside the elevator was silver and spotless, just like everything else in this place; cold, perfect and expensive. Ding! The elevator landed. Evelina adjusted her blouse and straightened her skirt for what felt like the 100th time, as the doors opened. The hallway was long, empty, and quiet enough for her to hear two voices arguing lowly. She paused outside the heavy wooden door, her fingers hovering around the door knob. "I told you already, Aiden," said a deep voice. "I don’t want a female secretary. They’re needy, clingy, always trying to get into my pants or mess with my schedule." Cassiel. Evelina’s throat went dry. "I told you, she’s qualified," Aiden replied. His voice was low and almost frustrated. "She has t**s. That’s all you looked at," Cassiel remarked, coldly. "Just meet her," Aiden replied, exasperated." She’s not like the others. She’s smart, confident...sexy, yeah, but still innocent enough to not throw herself at you." "I don’t give a damn," Cassiel hissed. "I told you to find someone who wouldn’t distract me. Now you bring in some tight-skirted college dropout with soft lips and call her qualified?" Evelina blinked rapidly. She wasn’t a dropout and her lips weren’t that soft...Were they? "That’s not fair," Aiden protested. "She—" "She’s a damn woman, Aiden. You know I don’t do women. Not in my office." Before Evelina could overthink further, Aiden opened the door and almost bumped into her. "Oh," he said with a quick smile. "Perfect timing." Cassiel’s eyes followed his gaze. And then she finally saw him. Cassiel Valtoris. He sat behind a massive desk, his fingers resting under his chin. His black hair was tousled, his jawline was sharp, and his eyes..God, his eyes were a shade of silver-gray that made her knees weak. He was dressed in an all black-suit open just enough to show a little of pale skin and bits of a tattoo curling down his collarbone. His eyes were the darkest thing Evelina had ever seen. They were cold, icy and predatory like he was ready to devour her any moment. Cassiel looked up, his eyes settling on her like she was something unimportant. "This is her?" he asked in a deadpan voice. "Yes," Aiden said quickly. "This is Evelina Moore." Evelina stepped in, trying not to let her heels shake. She stood across the desk, trying to keep her spine straight but her heart was beating so loud that she could hear them in her ears. "I’ll leave you two," Aiden added, shooting Evelina an apologetic look before slipping out and shutting the door behind him. "F**k you," Cassiel muttered under his breath. There was a brief silence. Cassiel didn’t move—he just stared. "Evelina Moore," he said, leaning back in his chair and watching Evelina like he found her intriguing. His eyes shifted to her face then dropped to her legs...slowly, making her feel a little uncomfortable. "You were already interviewed downstairs. Why are you here?" "They said you wanted a final say." "I didn’t. Aiden forced this." Evelina remained quiet. She couldn't think of anything she could say not just because she was nervous but because she didn't want to make any mistakes. "Sit," Cassiel finally said, nodding toward the chair in front of him. Evelina sat. She tried so hard not to let her nerves show, but Cassiel noticed everything. The way her fingers fidgeted with her skirt, and the way her lips parted slightly when she breathed. She looked like someone who tried hard to act confident but wasn’t. "I don’t hire women," Cassiel began. "I need this job," Evelina pleaded. "That’s not my problem." She clenched her fists, then let them go. "I’m good at what I do." "I don’t care." "I won’t bother you, sir." "You’re already bothering me." She swallowed. " I just need a chance. You can fire me if I don’t meet your expectations." "Honestly, you don’t look like a secretary," Cassiel said bluntly. Evelina lifted her chin. ,"I didn’t know there was a look," she said and that surprised Cassiel. "I already interviewed with HR,” she continued calmly. "And, I was told this is more of an assessment." He smirked. "You don’t scare easily, do you?" She gulped hard. "Not usually." His gaze lingered on her breasts, the curve of her waist, before he dragged it back to her face. "Sexy but innocent," he muttered under his breath. "Aiden’s type. Not mine." "What?" "Nothing." He leaned back in his chair, looking at her like he was deciding whether to eat her alive or let her go. "Can you handle long nights?" he asked. "I can handle whatever the job throws at me." "Even me?" That made her heart skip a beat. "I’m not here for you," she said quietly. " I’m here for the job." Cassiel's smirk grew and he stood, which made Evelina instinctively shift uncomfortably in her seat. He was taller than she thought...six feet something. He was tall, intimidating and had broad shoulders. He was the kind of man who looked like he could ruin you with just a touch. "Do you know why you’re still standing here, Miss Moore?" he asked, walking around the desk. She shook her head. "Because you’re pretty." Her face heated instantly. "But don’t let that fool you into thinking you’re special." He leaned in, so close she could smell his cologne— dark, spicy and masculine. "I don’t like distractions. I don’t like mistakes. And I don’t like women who talk too much." Evelina’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. "You’ll keep your mouth shut, your legs closed, and your eyes off me. Got it?" She nodded. "Good," he said, stepping back. “Aiden thinks you’re useful. Prove it. Start tomorrow." She blinked. "I... I got the job?" That made Cassiel laugh just once. It was a dry, little, humourless sound that didn’t reach his eyes. "You want the job. You’ve got it. Let’s see how long you last." "Thank you," Evelina sounded overjoyed as she stood up, bowing and thanking him profusely. "Your desk’s outside my office. Don’t make noise. Don’t wear too much perfume. Don’t speak to me unless I ask you to. "And if you do..." he stopped, turning his head just slightly. "Then I’ll remind you exactly who you work for." Evelina stood frozen, her legs felt like jelly and her stomach twisted. She didn’t know if it was fear, excitement or both and clearly, she had no idea what she just walked into. Cassiel's voice sounded, jolting Evelina back to reality. "Get out of my office." Evelina quickly hurried out, fearing Cassiel might change his mind about the job. She met Aiden waiting near the elevator, smiling like the bastard he was. "Told you you’d charm him." "He hates me," Evelina sighed. "Relax, he hates everyone." "Why did you even—" "You’ll understand soon enough," Aiden winked. "Welcome to hell, sweetheart." Evelina wasn't sure what Aiden had meant by that but she was certain she was going to turn Cassiel's world upside down, even if he didn't know it yet. Or maybe... he’d destroy hers.