The Billionaire’s Cook

CoralineStepping through the glass doors of the condominium building, I tried like hell to keep my jaw from dropping at the luxuriousness of my surroundings.I followed the quiet doorman as he led me towards the elevators. It had smooth steel doors I could see my reflection in, and when he pressed a button, they slid open with an expensive whoosh.“Thank you.” I said with a smile when he gestured for me to enter, indicating he wouldn’t be following me all the way. Nerves swarmed my stomach when the elevator doors closed behind me, enclosing me alone in its sleek confines. Scanning the buttons for the one indicating the penthouse suite, I pushed the cursive P and took a deep calming breath when it started counting up.I couldn’t believe I was being summoned by Mr. Alessio Castelli himself. Even though I had only been in Manhattan for less than two months, I knew all about the elusive billionaire.Everyone talked about how young and extremely successful he was. He had businesses in al

Coraline“Here you go.” I set his plate of toast, scrambled eggs and bacon in front of him, trying not to show my disappointment on my face. I think I was doing a pretty decent job of it.“You’ve sighed six times in the last two minutes alone.”I startled at the observation, surprised and a little embarrassed he had noticed.“Um, just thinking about the sad book I read yesterday. The protagonist didn’t deserve to die that way.”He just stared at me with a blank expression on his face. I started feeling uncomfortable after three seconds so I gestured towards his plate.“Food’s getting cold.” I told him. He finally looked away and picked up his utensils, heaping a large portion of scrambled eggs on his fork. I held my breath as he took a bite, heart beating fast in my chest. Chewing slowly, his eyes dropped close, a low rumbling sound emanating from his throat when he swallowed.He opened his eyes and went straight for the bacon next, crunching through the crispy strips in record time.

CoralineI found myself back at Mr. Castelli’s penthouse suite the next day, staring in confusion at the contract papers and pen he had placed on the table in front of me.“That contains the terms of our business arrangement,” he explained in a hard tone before I could voice out my questions. “Tasks you’re to carry out and rules you should never break. Legal action would be taken against you if you do. So just read through and sign at the bottom of the last page and we can get that out of the way.”My eyes moved up to take him in. He was dressed in a business suit today and he looked so much more intimidating in the sharp, all black ensemble. His expression wasn’t any better, his face looking like it was carved straight out of granite itself.It made me wonder why I had decided to subject myself to working under this kind of man that had the power to make my working hours less than rosy. Then I remembered the twenty thousand dollars sitting pretty in my bank account and that put a sto

CoralineMy heart was going to beat out of my chest.Mr. Castelli was standing there in the middle of the sunken living room, hands in his pockets while he gazed at me with an expression of calm indifference.I wasn’t fooled though. I knew a storm was brewing beneath the facade. And it was aimed at me.“Um… um, sir—”He raised a hand to stop my babbling and I immediately clamped my mouth shut.Was I really going to lose my job on the very first day I started it? Could this be a world record?Actually, hold up a minute. What did he say I did again?“She wasn’t a stranger.” I rushed to prove my innocence. “She was your girlfriend, Georgina Mendez. She just came to pick up something she left behind.”One brow lifted in a silent ‘oh?’ and the feeling that I might have dug myself into a deeper pit washed over me.Standing in the midst of fallen grocery bags and my still ringing phone, I wrung my hands together in agitation.Then he started walking—no, stalking—towards me and all the remain

CoralineIt was officially confirmed. My boss was mental.He looked ready to strangle someone as he burst into the kitchen, features stony and expression livid.It made me wonder what someone could be so mad about this early in the morning.“Jeez Louise, Ale. Have mercy on my poor fucking eardrums.” The other man in the room moaned dramatically.I had been working on Mr. Castelli’s breakfast when he had stumbled into the kitchen, looking like he had been dragged through hell and back.I knew a hungover person when I saw one so after he told me he was Mr. Castelli’s close friend and was just crashing over at his place while nursing a terrible hangover, I decided to make him a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and berries so he could feel a little better.He was telling me how he had made a fool of himself at his birthday party last night when my boss barged in, his foul mood ruining the entire atmosphere.“What are you doing?” His jaw was clenched as he directed the stupid question my way.