Bound To The Mafia Don

FLORA The office door closed behind me with a soft click that sounded like a death sentence. I stood frozen, staring at the massive desk that dominated the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the glittering city skyline, but all I could see was the reflection of a terrified woman: me. "Sit," ordered the towering bulk of a man who had dragged me in. I managed to lower myself into a leather chair without collapsing. My mind raced through escape scenarios, but each one more seemed more impossible than the last. The office had only one door, and Mountain Man stood in front of it like a boulder. "He'll be in soon," he said, crossing his arms. "Don't try anything stupid." Stupid would be sitting here waiting to be murdered. I nodded meekly, trying to look defeated while my eyes darted around the room. There had to be something, anything I could use. "I need to use the bathroom," I said. My voice was barely above a whisper. Mountain Man frowned. "Hold it." "Please," I beg

FLORA "This is a business arrangement," he corrected. "One that benefits both parties. You get financial security and medical care for your mother. I get loyalty and discretion." "And if I refuse?" His expression hardened. "Then you become a liability rather than an asset." We both knew what that meant. I flipped to the last page, where a signature line awaited. "You're asking me to sign away my freedom." "I'm offering you a way out of poverty and your mother a way out of pain." He reached into another drawer and pulled out a syringe and a small vial. "Speaking of which..." My breath caught. "What is that?" "Your mother's new medication. A recent development from Europe. It hasn't been approved by FDA yet, but it is highly effective for stage three kidney disease. It halts progression and can even reverse some damage." I stared at the vial, while hope and suspicion took turns flaring up within me. "How do I know that's real?" "You don't." He set the vial down beside the contr

FLORAI barely slept that night. Every noise made me jump as I kept wondering. Was it Dante's men watching me? Or someone else entirely? By morning, my nerves were shot, and the coffee I gulped down only made my hands shakier.Rex arrived at exactly 8 AM, and his face was expressionless as he held the car door open."Good morning," I said, trying to sound normal.He nodded in response. The whole drive was silent until his phone suddenly rang."Yes, sir," he answered before glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "I'll tell her."When he hung up, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Romano wants you in his office immediately. Not at your desk. He wants you to go directly to him when we arrive."My stomach dropped. "Did he say why?" I questioned him."It’s not my job to ask questions, Ms. Flora,” he responded.Great, I thought. Something told me this wasn't about my filing system.When we arrived, the office was eerily quiet. Vivian wasn't at her desk yet, and the lights in the outer office were

FLORA "Curiosity kills more than cats in my world," Dante said. His voice was dangerously soft as his fingers wrapped around my wrist firmly. My heart hammered against my ribs as I contemplated my situation. I had crossed a line, and we both knew it. The question was what Dante would do about it. His dark eyes studied me for a long moment, and I just stood there, holding my breath as I thought about what he would do. Then, to my surprise, he moved my hand away from the panel and pressed his own palm against it instead. There was a faint click, followed by the quiet beep of the keypad as he entered a code. "What are you doing?" I whispered, more out of shock than anything. "Satisfying your curiosity,” was all he said. The safe door swung open. "Since you're so determined to know my secrets, let's get it over with once and for all." He stepped aside, allowing me to see the contents of the safe. Stacks of cash were neatly arranged on one shelf. It was more money than I had eve

FLORAI stared at the ceiling of the guest bedroom in Dante's penthouse, unable to fall asleep despite the comfortable silk sheets and memory foam mattress. It had been three days since the attack on my apartment forced me to move in here, and despite the luxury surrounding me, I still felt like I was a bird in a gilded cage.The digital clock on the nightstand showed 2:17 AM. With a sigh, I threw off the covers and walked to the kitchen for some water, careful not to make noise. To my surprise, a light was already on."Can't sleep either, dear?" Mrs. Rossi, Dante's housekeeper asked. She was sitting at the kitchen island nursing a cup of tea."No," I admitted, reaching for a glass. "It's too quiet here."Mrs. Rossi nodded in understanding. She was a short, plump Italian woman in her sixties with kind eyes that seemed out of place in Dante's world. Over the past few days, she had become my only real ally in this strange new life."Sit," she instructed, already pouring me some tea. "Ch