All Chapters of The Mafia's Little Raven: Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

LEILA..The banging in my head was a dull, persistent throb behind my eyes that made the light streaming through my apartment windows feel like shards of glass piercing my skull.I groaned, burrowing deeper into my pillows, trying to escape the unwelcome assault on my senses.Saturday morning was supposed to be my one day to just exist and to forget the world outside my door and the chaos of the day before.No work, no deadlines, just me and my hangover and the lingering bitterness from last night’s pity party.Crying through a comedy special with a bottle of wine was my desperate attempt to take everything out of my head.I had a date with myself last night, a solitary attempt to drown out the loneliness that clung to me like a second skin.And now I was all drunk, only to be jolted awake by an insistent knocking that shattered the fragile peace of my hangover recovery, a harsh sound in the quiet of my New York apartment.A sharp, demanding knock sliced through the quiet of my New

LEILA..He waited for me then, giving me a few minutes to pull myself together and pack a few things from my closet and my scattered life, a small bag containing clothes and toiletries and my laptop, because even in the midst of this spontaneous escape, the reality of work still clung to me, demanding my attention, reminding me of the life I was built around.He took me in his car, the ride was beautiful, the city skyline receding in the rear view mirror, replaced by the blur of green as he drove us north, heading away from the concrete jungle.It was the first time in his car with freedom, not as a prisoner in the back seat of one of his town cars, but as a companion, sitting beside him, sharing the space, and everything smelt beautiful, the clean scent of the car mixing with the faint aroma of pine and damp earth that drifted in through the open windows as we left the city behind, it felt free, like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, leaving only the hum of the engine and

LEILA..This here was the showroom, a place where people could visit and check for what they wanted and request or book what they wanted, a public face of our brand, designed to entice and inspire, but lacking the raw energy of the design floor, the frantic energy of deadlines and creation, but the place is graciously beautiful, a testament to the vision and the hard work that brought the designs to life.Taking note of the dresses that hung like works of art, the luxurious materials draped over mannequins, the intricate details of the embroidery and the bead-work, and all that was there, arranged with meticulous care, showcasing the breadth and depth of our collections, when someone enters, a subtle shift in the air, a new presence in the quiet space, someone walks in, stepping in from the street outside.She was a pregnant woman, her belly round and prominent beneath the elegant lines of her coat, she was describing something to one of the girls, her voice low and hushed, gesturin

LEILA..The sound of a knock echoed through my apartment, which made my heart leap into my throat for a second, because I wasn’t expecting anyone, not tonight, not after the intensity of the past few days. I walked towards the door, my steps hesitant, wondering who it could be, my mind racing through possibilities, a neighbor? A delivery? Or something else entirely? I then looked through the peephole and it revealed the identity of my unexpected visitor, and my eyes widened in disbelief.Misa. Standing on my doorstep.How she got her address, I know nothing of, it was unlisted, yet here she was, standing outside my door. I hesitated for a long moment, my hand on the doorknob, wrestling with myself, every instinct screaming at me to keep the door closed, to pretend I wasn’t home, to avoid the confrontation, to protect myself from the pain she represented, but then I saw her face through the peephole, her expression vulnerable, and something in me shifted. And then I opened the

LEILA..The scent of sunscreen clung to my clothes, a tangible reminder of the beach and the sun and the much-needed escape we had taken.I was back at my place, the vacation with Sophia finally over, and although I had tried enjoying myself, diving into the distraction of travel and friendship, it was nice, real beautiful, the scenery, the relaxation, the time spent away from the city and its complications, we got to work and eat so much and talk and watch movies and visited places, soaking up the local culture, did crazy stuff, went to the club, dancing until our feet ached, got drunk, laughing until the early hours of the morning, and so much more, lots of activity designed to push everything else from my mind.And now I’m here and I was ready to face him again. I moved from unpacking my suitcase to picking up my phone, and I typed out a message, simple and direct, stating that I wanted to have a dinner planned for us. Putting it that I want to try out new food seeing that they