Chapter 30

Laura's POV

I turned back to face him, my pulse steadying as the initial shock wore off. If he thought I’d crumble, he was mistaken.

Lifting my chin, I met his gaze head-on. “What the hell is a mafia lord doing playing CEO, Kelvin?”

Something flickered in his eyes, amusement, perhaps, but his expression remained composed. He tilted his head slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “Mafia lord?” he mused, as if tasting the words. “That’s quite an accusation.”

I scoffed. “We both know it’s not. You didn’t build your empire with board meetings and stock trades. So tell me, what’s your game this time?”

His lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. “And here I thought you’d be too busy packing up your desk to ask questions.”

I folded my arms. “I like to know when I’m being played.”

He exhaled a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “You never change.” Then, leaning forward, his voice dropped into something more dangerous. “But tell me, Laura, what makes you think you’re the one being played?”

“I’m not stupid, Kelvin. You fire me the moment I step into your office, but you’re dragging this out. If you really wanted me gone, I’d be gone already. So what’s the real reason I’m here?”

His smirk widened. “Now, that’s the right question.”

I clenched my jaw. “Then answer it.”

He leaned back again, watching me like a predator assessing prey. “Let’s just say I like to keep my enemies close.”

Enemies.

Did he mean me? Or did he have other enemies lurking within the company?

I studied him carefully, but his expression remained unreadable. Kelvin was always like this, dangerous, calculating, never revealing his full hand.

I lifted a brow, masking my unease. “And which enemy are you referring to? Because if it’s me, you’re wasting your time. I’m walking out that door the second I get my things.”

His smirk didn’t waver. “Oh, you misunderstand, Laura.”

A slow, deliberate pause.

“I’m not firing you anymore.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk, his piercing green eyes locking onto mine. “You want to stay? Fine. But there’s one condition.”

My stomach twisted. “And what would that be?”

“You’re no longer an analyst,” he said, his voice like silk over steel. “You work for me now. Directly.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly are you saying?”

His smirk deepened. “Congratulations, Laura. You’re my new personal assistant.”

The room tilted slightly as his words sank in.

Personal assistant?

I let out a short, humorless laugh. “You’re joking.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

No. He didn’t.

I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”

Kelvin tapped his fingers against the desk. “You don’t really have a choice.”

My breath caught. “Excuse me?”

He shrugged, as if this was a simple business transaction. “Your employment here isn’t negotiable. Either you take the job, or you walk away with nothing.”

My hands clenched at my sides. “You can’t force me into this.”

His smirk was infuriatingly confident. “I’m not forcing you, Laura. I’m giving you an opportunity.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, fury bubbling beneath my skin. “You mean you’re trapping me.”

His gaze darkened, amusement vanishing. “Call it what you want. But if you want to stay, those are the terms.”

My mind raced. There had to be a reason for this. A reason why he wanted me close.

I could walk away. I should walk away.

But something told me if I did, I’d never know what game he was really playing.

And for some reason, that unsettled me more than staying.

I stared at him, trying to decipher the layers beneath his smirk. He was enjoying this, watching me struggle between my anger and curiosity.

He reached into the drawer of his sleek mahogany desk and pulled out a thick stack of files, sliding them across to me.

"Start with these," he said smoothly. "They should keep you busy for a while."

I glanced down at the documents but didn’t touch them. “What exactly am I supposed to do with these?”

“Review them,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Learn them. I expect a full report by tomorrow morning.”

I frowned. “Tomorrow? That’s impossible.”

His smirk deepened. “Then you’d better get started.”

Heat burned under my skin. “You can’t just—”

“Go pack your things,” he interrupted, tilting his head toward the door.

I froze.

Go pack my things?

Confusion flickered across my face. He just said I wasn’t fired. Was he changing his mind again?

He must’ve caught my hesitation because his eyes gleamed with amusement. “Relax, Laura. You’re not leaving the company.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then why am I packing?”

Kelvin stood, smoothing a hand down his crisp black suit. He strolled around the desk until he was right in front of me, his presence suffocating.

“To move into your new office,” he murmured.

My stomach flipped.

New office.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He smiled, slow and deliberate. “Welcome to your new role, Ms. Carter.”

I swallowed hard, my mind still struggling to catch up.

I moved on autopilot, my feet carrying me out of Kelvin’s office and down the hallway. My mind was still trying to process what had just happened. One minute, I was fired. The next, I was his personal assistant.

New office. New role. New nightmare.

I zombie-walked into my previous office, my gaze unfocused, my body running purely on muscle memory.

The moment I stepped inside, a blur of movement shot toward me.

"Laura!"

I blinked as Nathan practically tackled me, his hands gripping my shoulders like I’d vanish if he let go. His dark brown eyes were wide with panic. “Where the hell have you been? I thought he threw you out already! I was about to start a riot in the lobby!”

I stared at him, the whirlwind of emotions I’d been holding in finally starting to settle.

He scanned my face, his brows knitting together. “Wait… why do you look like someone just hit you with a frying pan?”

I opened my mouth, then shut it again. My tongue felt thick, my mind still stuck in Kelvin’s office.

Nathan frowned harder. “Laura, talk to me. What did that he say?”

I inhaled sharply, forcing myself to say the words. “I’m not fired.”

James’s eyes widened. “Wait… what?”

I nodded stiffly. “I still have a job.”

He let out a choked laugh. “That’s great! I mean, I was ready to start flipping tables, but—”

“I’m his new personal assistant.”

Nathan blinked. Once. Twice. Then he let out a sharp bark of laughter. “I’m sorry, what?”

I just stared at him, still numb.

His laughter died when he realized I wasn’t joking. “Oh my God. You’re serious?”

I nodded slowly.

He gaped at me for a solid three seconds before throwing his arms in the air. “This is amazing!”

I shot him a deadpan look. “Nate.”

“What?” He grinned, completely ignoring the absolute horror on my face. “Kelvin-freaking-Aldoracco just made you his PA! Do you know what this means?”

“That my life is officially over?”

He rolled his eyes. “No! It means you’ll have access to everything! His files, his schedule, his private meetings. This is your chance to figure out what the hell he’s really up to!”

I scoffed. If only he knew I was married to the bastard. No one knew about my marriage to Kelvin. At least, not my side.

He nudged me, wiggling his brows. “Also, let’s not forget the pay raise. PAs to CEOs make bank.”

I just stared at him.

Nathan sighed dramatically. “Okay, fine. I see you’re still in shock. Go ahead and have your existential crisis. But I’m getting celebratory coffee.”

I watched as he grabbed his wallet and headed toward the door, humming to himself.

Meanwhile, I remained frozen in place, gripping the files like they were the only thing that felt real.

My life was slowly being overrun by this man.