CHAPTER-3: His personal life

“Roger…” Kiara started when she returned to her office with a scared face.

“Close the door.” He interrupted her with an order and once she closed the door, he demanded, “Now tell me how it went?”

Kiara swallowed and looked at him apologetically. “It went…not good.”

Roger nodded. His eyes are sharp and demanding. “Define not good!”

“Well. I was not very well prepared for it.” She started but the sharp gaze of Roger made her nervous.

“I kind of lost the list of questions you gave me. So I asked him questions about whatever I searched about him.”

“You lost the damn questions!” His voice boomed around the cabin making Kiara stiffen.

“Roger, I know I made a blunder but I tried to handle the situation but…”

“But what? What Kiara?” He snapped, but a loud cough made it worse for him. He picked a few tissues from his desk and coughed into them.

“You ruined my interview. Do you have any bloody idea that this was going to be on the front page of the magazine!" he slapped the desk angrily. “Now tell me what this month’s front page will look like?”

Kiara's face paled. “Roger. I am sorry.”

He strode to her and barked, “I don't want to hear your damn apology. I want to know what the hell had happened there that I received a call from the Governor house! What the hell did you do that Victor threatened me to not publish this damn interview!” Roger demanded with a murderous gaze in his eyes.

Kiara's heart literally stopped. She was still not over the fact that the Governor of New York literally threatened her and now her boss was grilling her.

“Roger, I…”

“Did you record?” Roger asked, cutting her stammering.

“Yes.”

“Then what the hell are you waiting for? Give it to me. I want to hear what blunder you have made!"

Kiara with fumbled hands pulled out the small recorder and handed it to Roger. “Here.”

Roger angrily snatched it and played it. A few minutes of the interview passed. Declan Sullivan’s authoritative voice filled the whole room.

The first few questions were the ones he gave her. But as the interview progressed, the questions Kiara asked literally shook him.

He raised his eyes at her, stunned. The tension, the coldness, the anger, he could feel everything in Declan's voice.

This was damn Raw!

This was the real Declan Sullivan!

Fucking hell. This girl did what no one in the USA could do! Not even himself. She literally grilled the Governor cum mafia head raw.

Maybe the perks of not being a New York’s resident otherwise anyone from here would have peed in their pants during the interview.

“Kiara. What the hell did you do?” He whispered, a small smile came to his face. His eyes were sparkling with joy as he heard the ending of the interview where Declan ordered her to end the recording when Kiara questioned him about his marriage. The recorder was on throughout.

Roger grinned with the idea of this outstanding interview being the country’s sensation. This time people will not only know about his governor life but personal too.

Oh, he was so going to give it a perfect ending on the very first page of his magazine.

As the interview came to an end, Kiara spoke, “I don't know what ticked him. I only wanted to…”

He interrupted her. “You did your best in ruining things for me. Now do me a favour and go do your work. I will see what I can do.”

Kiara stared at him wide-eyed as he rested a hand to her shoulder. This man never showed any empathy towards her. Why now? She felt something fishy.

“Just don't share this with anyone here. This is confidential between you and me only.”

Kiara bit her lip, but seeing Roger taking control of everything, she relaxed. Her assignment was done and she shouldn't think about it anymore.

.

.

Declan Sullivan's eyes were hard and fuming as they pierced through every word written in the magazine about him.

‘The governor who plays saviour by the day and executioner by the night.’

‘The Irish wolf’s secret marriage with a Russian princess…’

A muscle tickled under the sharp jawline of his cheekbone as he read the front page title: The Governor’s personal life. Up and Close!

He didn't shout or rip the shiny paper apart, he just stared at every word written in it. With lethal silence.

And that's what made him more dangerous. He never needed to raise his voice to command. Power followed him naturally.

Power and Authority Both!

But a tiny girl questioned that power and authority by printing this damn interview when he ordered her not to.

He glanced at Victor who swallowed in uncomfort. He knew he failed as his right hand man today.

The interview shouldn't have been published!

But before he could say anything, Liam Sullivan, his younger brother and the head of the Irish mafia strode there with furious eyes and the same magazine in his hand.

Crumpled to the edges!

“I have received five calls not only from your party heads but from those Russians and Italians as well!” he angrily informed his brother, placing the magazine in front of him.

“The Senate election is down the corner. And this messed everything up for us!” He flattened his hands on the table and looked at his brother with a questioning gaze, “Tell me what I should answer to that Russian Pakhan and that Italian Capo, Brother!” Liam Sullivan asked his brother with a tight lipped smile.

Declan fixed Liam with a hard stare. “Your tone, Liam. Watch it.” He warned his brother.

Yes, Liam was the head of the Irish Mafia but He was the Godfather!

Liam might wear the crown, but everyone within the clan knew where the real power lies. Every order, execution and strategic move, be it political or mafioso, ultimately passed through Declan.

Nobody could talk to him like this. Not even his own brother.

Liam straightened and nodded. “Please, my dear brother, tell me what I should do with them? Klaus is threatening me to break our alliance and that Russian Pakhan demanded answers!”

Declan's fingers clenched tightly hearing that. “Tell Klaus Barbieri that the empire he is ruling over is basically my charity to him.”

Declan's cold voice filled the atmosphere with authority. “And next time when that Russian demands anything, ask him to call me. I will fulfil his damn demands!”

Liam understood that his brother was angry. He also understood that the person responsible for this would suffer worse than death. But the situation this incident pulled them in was messy.

Hell messy!

“Your image is ruined, Declan. In the public and in the mafia too.”

Declan's eyes hardened. “You think it mat.. “

A loud buzzing of his phone interrupted him. Declan glanced at the screen of his phone and his heart skipped its beat, seeing the message from the person he couldn't get out of his mind and life even after two years of his Divorce.

Sila Sokolov, his Ex-wife. The wound was still bleeding afresh and refused to heal. Sila was that chapter of his life he couldn't turn over from.

The message was short but clear. ‘Don't ruin my marriage, Declan.’

The words snapped something dark inside him. And for the first time after years, he showed a physical reaction.

The magazine in his hand crumbled to the ashes as if he was snapping the head of that girl who interviewed him.

He looked at his personal assistant cum right hand man and ordered in a dark tone.

“Viktor! Bring me that damn girl. I will show her how sensational my personal life up and close is!”