Chapter 2

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest. Forcing myself to sound steady, I called out, "I... I just went to bed, Matteo. Is something wrong?"

A beat of silence hit the hallway.

"I heard noise in your room." His tone stayed dead cold, pure authority. "Get some rest if you're fine."

His footsteps slowly faded away.

Losing all strength, I slid down the door and collapsed onto the floor. I gasped for air, my palms dripping with cold sweat.

How is this even possible?

If the floating texts were right, Matteo in real life was the ruthless mob boss controlling the whole underworld. And me? I was just a plain finance worker in thick glasses and conservative suits. We had lived together in this mansion for three months, and he always looked at me like I was invisible.

But on that encrypted app just now...

The glowing texts exploded in mid-air once again:

[Babe! Stop doubting it! He IS 'Shadow'! What kind of magic potion did you give him over the last six months?!]

[That bitch Sienna is using you as a pawn! Don't let her get you killed by a mafia don! RUN while you still can!]

The texts jolted my memory.

Sienna, the spoiled daughter of a loan shark, started all of this.

Six months ago, Sienna slammed a thirty-thousand-dollar check in front of my face.

"Get this man for me in three months," she said, chewing her gum with contempt. "You'll get another forty grand when it's done."

I desperately needed money for my mother's medical bills back then. Sienna, with her explosive temper, was already blocked on all his socials.

She handed me a brand-new encrypted account. The profile picture showed her back in a backless dress at a Miami bar. The screen name was "Siren."

And the target had only one code name—"Shadow."

"He likes hot, bold women, but he's extremely picky," Sienna pointed at the screen. "Use your copywriting skills. Play me, and seduce him."

For that seventy thousand dollars, I threw away my good-girl persona and transformed into the intoxicating "Siren."

I chased him for four whole months. Every day, I studied how he talked, testing him with flirty yet teasing texts.

Until two months ago, he finally texted, "Let's date."

At that moment, I thought my job was done.

"Sienna, here's your account back. He agreed to date you," I found Sienna.

But Sienna shoved the phone back at me, totally impatient. "I'm going on a two-month cruise next week! Keep chatting for me. I'll meet him when I get back! You'll get your final pay!"

Those extra two months threw everything completely off track.

"Shadow," rumored to be a cold, bloodthirsty man, turned insanely clingy and possessive after we made it official.

Once, I casually texted, "Your voice is so hot. I want to hear you sing." The very next day, he sent his first private voice note.

That deep, raspy, breathless voice struck my nerves instantly.

I felt a secret thrill for him. I thought I was falling for a sexy, mysterious guy online, but reality just slapped me hard in the face—

He was Matteo.

The cold-blooded mafia don who climbed to the top on a pile of bodies!

Ding-dong.

The phone in my hand vibrated again. A new message popped up on the encrypted app:

Shadow: [Baby, the cold shower didn't cool me down.]

Shadow: [Did you hang up on me because you're tired of me?]

Looking at those two lines, my hands trembled uncontrollably.

My heart pounded like crazy.

How could a powerful mafia don act like a needy, desperate lover through my earbuds?