The Return Of The Mafia Lord

006

The ride up was tense. The mirrored walls of the elevator reflected Ari's distraught face, her eyes were red-rimmed. Xavier stood a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, a granite expression on his face. She could feel his quiet fury simmering and she fought the urge to shrink even further into herself.

Finally, the doors slid open on the top floor. The space was nothing like the bustling, colorful offices she was used to. The doors opened to reveal a hallway so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning. Ari’s mouth fell open slightly as he took in the sight, polished marble floors, sleek modern art on the walls, and soft, indirect lighting that created an atmosphere of understated elegance.

Xavier pushed the double door open and they both stepped in. The space was just as breathtaking as the hallway. Floor-to-ceiling windows dominated the wall behind a massive, dark wood desk, offering a panoramic view of the bustling city below. The skyline was a masterpiece, a sea of steel and glass that seemed to stretch to the horizon. On the desk, a simple, elegant nameplate was propped up, the letters etched in a clean, modern font: Xavier Stewart.

He strode to the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to her. "You have a lot of nerve," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Cursing me out in front of my entire company on my first day. How disrespectful of you"

Ari's resolve, which had been so fierce just moments ago, crumbled. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I guess I was just out of my mind. My life is falling apart, and you were the one who—"

"The one who what?" he cut in, turning to face her. "The one who you gave a coat to and a place to sleep for one night? The one who told you I'd pay you back? You made a scene over a trivial matter. Whatever amount you want to demand won't even move my pocket,so why act like a fool?" Xavier asked rudely.

Although he knew he was becoming too harsh,at the same time,he felt that was the only way to command respect from someone who had seen him when he was desperately in need. Back when he was in Bella Vendetta,he was a force no one dared disrespect and now wouldn't be an exception,not even from someone that looks like his late wife, because they are not and will never be the same.

Don't call me a fool!" she yelled, her voice breaking. "I was just fired for something I didn't do! I'm broke. I'm a mess. That phone was the fifth one I lost , and you were a part of why it was gone. And I'm still paying for it!”

Xavier's expression softened slightly, a flicker of something she couldn't quite name—perhaps pity, perhaps something else entirely. "And why are you being fired? For being rude and disrespectful?” He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I was framed!" she yelled again t "I was accused of trying to sell important company information to another company and I can't even defend myself because it was traced to my computer. And now,here you are threatening to make sure I'll never get another job"

He paced a few steps away from the window, then turned back to face her. "Well, isn't that just a convenient little twist of fate," he said, his voice now devoid of its previous hostility. "It just so happens that your unfortunate situation presents me with a rather interesting opportunity."

Ari looked at him, confused. Her anger had subsided, replaced by a weary resignation. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

A wicked smile, as sharp and cold as a shard of ice, spread across his lips. "You see, it was never my intention to leave you jobless," he said, gesturing around his spacious office. "As you can see, I'm going to need an assistant. Someone who understands the complexities of my Company and someone who will handle all my affairs with the utmost care." He paused, his gaze fixed on her.

Ari’s breath hitched. "What are you... what are you saying?" she stammered.

"I'm offering you the job," Xavier said simply, as if he were offering her a cup of coffee. "You'll be my personal assistant. But it comes with a condition." He folded his arms across his chest again, his expression turning serious. "You have a year. In that year, you will find the real culprit who framed you—the person who tried to sell company secrets. You'll expose them and clear your name. And while you do that, you'll work for me."

A flicker of hope ignited within Ari, but it was quickly extinguished by the cold glint in his eyes.

"And for your little outburst earlier," he continued, a smirk playing on his lips, "my original plan of making sure you never work again has been replaced with something far more satisfying. For every day you work for me, I will make your life a living hell. I'll demand more than you can give, push you past your limits, and frustrate you to the brink of insanity. This isn't just a job offer. It's a punishment."

The prospect of working under a man so vengeful sent a shiver down her spine, but the alternative, which was being blacklisted and unable to clear her name—was far worse. New York was a city of millions, but the corporate world was a small, unforgiving place. If she couldn't prove her innocence, her career was over before it even began.

Taking a deep breath, Ari met his gaze, her own resolve hardening. She wouldn't be a fool this time. "I accept," she said, her voice clear and strong.

Xavier's smirk widened. "Good," he said, the words a promise and a threat. "Welcome to your new life, Ari. It's going to be a long year.”

***

Gabriele sat in his expansive living room. The air was thick with the scent of cigars and the low murmur of men at work. His men were scattered around the room, some hunched over laptops, others poring over documents spread across a large area while some just counted money. He sat on a plush, leather couch, a lit cigarette dangling between his fingers as he rocked the soft jazz music playing in the background

Marco, his right hand man, approached him with a phone in his hand. “Mr. Leonardo is on the video call, boss.”

A wicked smile, slow and deliberate, spread across Gabriele’s face. He dropped the cigarette into a glass of whiskey. Taking the phone from Marco, he stood up and walked into the sprawling garden that extended behind the house.

He answered the call. Mr. Leonardo’s face filled the screen, his eyes red and swollen as if he had been crying for weeks. Gabriele had to use every ounce of self-control not to laugh.

“Have you found him?” Leonardo’s voice was a ragged whisper, filled with a raw grief that was almost palpable. “Have you found the bastard who killed my family?”

Gabriele shook his head slowly, a picture of false sympathy. “Not yet, Mr. Leonardo. We’ve searched his known residences, but he’s vanished. It’s been a long week.”

Leonardo’s face contorted in rage. He threw a glass against the wall behind him, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the phone. “Find him! Find him, now!” he yelled, his voice cracking. “I want him! I’ll feed him to the pigs when I find him.”

“Don’t you worry,” Gabriele said, his voice a soothing balm. “I have sent more men to hasten the search. We will find him.”

“If you need some of my men,I would send them to you,” Leonardo said.

“I will let you know if I ever do”

Leonardo’s face remained clenched for a moment longer before he abruptly ended the call.

A low, guttural laugh escaped Gabriele’s lips, echoing through the quiet garden. He had done it. He had succeeded in what he wanted all along, to create more enemies for Xavier, to make his life a living hell without even having to lift a finger himself. He walked back inside, a feeling of triumph surging through him. He sat back down on the large couch, and as if on cue, three women emerged from a hallway. They began to massage his shoulders and body. He closed his eyes in pleasure.

“That bastard is dead!”