"He's Coming, He's Coming."
The words cut through the open-plan office like a knife. Colleagues jumped to their feet, arranging themselves into stiff, unnatural lines. We looked less like a workplace and more like a military unit ready for inspection.
"What's going on?" I whispered to Sarah, my nearest desk neighbor, utterly confused. I'd only been here two weeks.
"Stand up, Nikki. The boss is coming," she hissed, tugging my sleeve. I stayed rooted, giving her a look that said you've got to be kidding me.
The boss is coming? So what?
"That's how we receive the boss," she added, darting a nervous glance down the hall. She made a zip it gesture. I'll explain later.
I finally looked past her.
And then I saw him.
He and his guards strode into view. The boss. The man whispered about in hallways like some myth: ruthless, cold, dangerously handsome. I hadn't seen him until today, but the rumors felt immediately plausible. He didn't look like a CEO, he looked like a god who scheduled a layover on Earth to check up on fools. Hair locked to a fault. Suit perfectly ironed. Confidence radiating like a solar flare. One hundred percent my type.
I ducked my head, not wanting to be caught ogling the man who made people tremble.
"Who is Clara?"
The voice boomed. Authority oozed from it, thick enough to make the air vibrate. All eyes landed on Clara, who raised a trembling hand.
The situation escalated in a heartbeat. One second, I was noticing how dangerously attractive he was. The next, I was wondering what kind of monster our boss actually was.
Clara, my colleague who'd once whispered about needing money for her mother's kidney operation was now kneeling on the polished floor. He'd accused her of theft. Her silver bracelet rattled as she tried to keep her voice steady: "Sir, please, I didn't—" she was saying but he cut her short.
The silence that followed was suffocating, like a noose waiting to snap.
"Do you know what happens to people who lie to me, Miss Clara?"
Calm. Too calm. Deadly calm. I could feel everyone holding their breath.
I'd seen this before, back at home. When Papa decided if someone's existence was even worth the oxygen they were breathing. Difference was, my Papa would shout. This man… he didn't need to.
My pulse hammered against my ribs. I hated this. Always had. The way everyone looked away. The way she knelt like she was begging God instead of a man in a thousand-dollar suit.
Then my mouth opened before my brain could catch up. "She's not lying."
Silence. Thick, dangerous silence. Every head turned to me as if I'd just announced my own execution.
His eyes lifted slowly, meeting mine. Cold grey. Like Storm clouds that didn't move.
"Excuse me?" he said softly.
"I said she's not lying. You're accusing her without proof."
He tilted his head. "Who gave you permission to speak?"
That was it. The warning. Every instinct screamed shut up, Nicole. But I wasn't built to listen. Maybe deep down, I thought he'd listen to me, like my father sometimes did.
"She didn't do it," I pushed out. "Maybe try asking before you—"
"Shut. The fuck. Up."
Three words. Deadly. Final.
And something inside me snapped.
I laughed. Small. Sharp. A little crazy. "Wow. You really think you can talk to people like that, huh? Because you're rich? Because everyone here's scared of you?"
Audible gasps echoed around the room. I could practically hear coworkers praying for my soul.
He blinked once. Slowly. "Miss…?"
"Ferraro," I said, lifting my chin. "Nicole Ferraro."
"Ferraro?" His surprise flickered.
"Yes. Ferraro." I Smirked. Confused looks from everyone else. He should be shocked, scared even, if he knew about my family. I had never used my name in public before, i wasn't actually allowed to but now? I didn't care.
A muscle in his jaw ticked. Surprise cleared. Indifference replaced it. "Miss Ferraro, I don't recall asking for your opinion."
Hit like a brick.
"Well, maybe you should start," I shot back. "Because she's obviously terrified, and you're acting like God. No one knows when they need money for emergencies. She was probably going to pay you back."
He chuckled darkly, taking a step toward me. I held my ground until his sheer proximity forced me to back up.
"If I needed advice, it definitely wouldn't be from someone as insignificant as you."
That landed. Hard.
I pushed past him, regaining space.
"Wow," I said, laughing without humor. "You really are as charming as everyone says. Do you talk to your mother that way too, or just women who work for you?"
Someone choked behind me. Clara looked horrified. His gaze darkened, and the air thickened. One of his bodyguards instinctively reached for his waistband as if wanting to pull a gun on me.
Before he could, the boss raised a single hand. No words. The guard froze mid-motion.
That tiny gesture held more power than anything I'd ever seen.
He didn't even glance at the guard. Fingers curled, gaze sharpened. "Watch your tone."
Every instinct screamed apologize. Run. Hide. But my brain chose recklessness.
"You're lucky he stood down," I spat. "My father would've had your head on his table if anyone touched me."
For a second, I thought I saw something flicker in his stormy eyes, amusement? Fury? I don't know, It was hard to tell. Then, like some dark punchline, he and his guards laughed, a dry, mocking sound.
Was he mocking my Papa?
I smiled. Sharp. Reckless. Masked anger. "You know what?" I grabbed my bag and laptop, swung the strap over my shoulder, and met his eyes. "Keep your job, your office, and your goddamn attitude. Take your bodyguards and go to hell."
I stormed out before anyone could stop me. My hands shook, but I didn't care.
The cold hit harder outside. My phone buzzed violently in my bag. Forty-two missed calls, all from my sister.
Papa's coming home. And…
A text blinked at the top of the screen: "Get ready. Your sister's wedding is in a week."
I froze, fingers gripping my bag strap like it was the only thing keeping me from exploding.
Wedding. WTF?
—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—
DISCLAIMER
This is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences. All names, characters, places, organizations, and events depicted in this book are either products of my imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
There would be some Italian and Russian languages in this book, but I'm neither Russian or Italian, so my translations may not be too accurate. (I'm using google to translate the words.) So if you see that please don't get pissed off lol. I would try my best to be accurate.
UPDATE SCHEDULE
You'll be receiving daily updates and sometimes i might even do a batch release of chapters. I promise to do my best to stay consistent. Do give this book a chance. I promise you wouldn't regret it.