The Mafia Boss Brought His Secretary as His Fake Date—Then Got Jealous When Every Man Wanted Her
Chapter 7
By morning, Elena had stopped believing in coincidences.
She sat in Adrian’s study while he examined the documents from the locker.
Rain still covered the windows.
Neither of them had slept.
“I want to go home,” Elena said.
Adrian looked up.
“I know.”
“You’re not going to let me.”
“No.”
She sighed.
“You’re very difficult.”
“So are you.”
He pushed a folder toward her.
“Look at this.”
She opened it.
A copy of her employment application.
Her old address.
Her school records.
A photograph from when she was sixteen.
Elena stared.
“Where did you get these?”
“Someone has been keeping a file on you.”
“For how long?”
“Fourteen years.”
Her chest tightened.
“Since my father disappeared.”
“Yes.”
She flipped through the pages.
There were notes about her school.
Her university.
Her first job.
Even her apartment.
Someone had watched her entire life.
“This is terrifying.”
“I know.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked at him.
“You’ve been protecting me from someone you didn’t even know?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adrian hesitated.
Then slowly said,
“Because your father once saved my life.”
Elena blinked.
“What?”
“When I was nineteen, someone tried to kill me.”
“My father stopped them?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He took the bullet meant for me.”
Elena felt tears burn her eyes.
“And he survived.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he disappear?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian reached across the desk.
His fingers brushed hers.
Elena didn’t move away.
“You should hate me,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because I kept secrets.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“You should.”
She shook her head.
“I think you’re the first person who ever tried to protect me without asking for anything in return.”
His eyes softened.
“I wanted something.”
“What?”
“You.”
The room went silent.
Elena stared at him.
“What?”
Adrian exhaled.
“I wanted you to stay.”
“For how long?”
“Longer than you were supposed to.”
She smiled sadly.
“You knew this was going to happen?”
“I knew I was falling in love with you.”
Her heart stopped.
Adrian reached for her face.
Then stopped.
“Tell me to stop.”
Elena whispered,
“I don’t want you to.”
He kissed her.
It was not dramatic.
It was slow.
Careful.
Almost uncertain.
For a man feared by half the city, Adrian touched her as though she were something fragile.
When they separated, Elena rested her forehead against his.
“This changes things.”
“Yes.”
“We were supposed to be pretending.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“I think I forgot we were pretending.”
“So did I.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
A long silence followed.
“Send the location.”
He ended the call.
“What?”
“They found the woman in the photograph.”
Elena’s heart jumped.
“Who is she?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Your mother.”
Elena stopped breathing.
“My mother died when I was five.”
“That is what you were told.”
“Where is she?”
Adrian’s expression darkened.
“She walked into one of our safe houses two hours ago.”
Elena stood.
“She’s alive?”
“Yes.”
Her entire world shifted.
“Then why did everyone tell me she was dead?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
He only said,
“We have to find out which part of your childhood was a lie.”
