Chapter 46

Laura's POV

If there was one thing I enjoyed here, it was the chirping of birds that woke me up in the mornings. I blinked my eyes slowly against the light that filtered in through the curtains.

A deep sigh left my lips as I rolled out of bed. Today, I needed to pull myself together.

I showered quickly, letting the warm water ease some of the tension lingering in my muscles. After dressing in a simple cream blouse and black trousers, I pulled my hair into a neat ponytail and headed downstairs for breakfast.

The dining hall was grand, but today, it felt emptier than usual.

Only one place was set. For me.

I hesitated at the entrance. The long mahogany table stretched before me, gleaming under the chandelier’s glow. A single cup of coffee steamed beside a plate of toast, eggs, and fresh fruit.

Where was Kelvin?

And why was no one else here?

I pulled out the chair and sat down, trying not to let my nerves show. The silence was thick, suffocating, until the deep sound of footsteps made my spine stiffen.

I thought he'd be gone by now.

He was dressed in a perfectly pressed black suit, he moved with the kind of confidence that came from years of absolute control. His silver-streaked hair was slicked back, and his expression, just like his son's, was unreadable.

He took the seat at the head of the table, watching me with the damned signature smirk that seemed to be some sort of mafia trademark as he sipped his espresso.

“Good morning, cara mia.” His voice was smooth, like aged whiskey.

I forced a polite smile. “Good morning.”

He gestured to my plate. “You should eat.”

I picked up my fork, though I didn’t feel particularly hungry under his gaze. “Where’s Kelvin?”

He hummed, setting his cup down. “Busy. But I’m sure you’re used to that by now.”

I stabbed a piece of fruit, refusing to give in to the part of me that wanted to ask what Kelvin was busy with. “I wanted to ask him about my work.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me. “Work?”

I nodded. “I’ve been away long enough. I need to go back.”

He chuckled, a sound that sent a chill down my spine. “You think my son will allow that?”

My grip on the fork tightened. “I don’t need permission to have a career.”

He exhaled slowly, as if I had just said something amusing. “Ah, Laura. You still don’t understand, do you?”

I frowned. “Understand what?”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “That world, the one you want to return to, is not the same one you left behind. You are not the same.”

I clenched my jaw. “I can handle myself.”

His lips curled into a smirk. “We’ll see.”

The conversation was over.

He returned to his coffee, leaving me stewing in silence.

I finished what little I could stomach and excused myself. My thoughts were a tangled mess as I made my way toward Kelvin’s study.

I needed answers.

I needed to see him.

But when I pushed the heavy wooden door open, the room was empty.

There was no sign of him.

Just the lingering scent of his cologne and that he could probably be dead somewhere after a shady dealing.

Wait…what? Why was I getting worried about him?

If he dies, it'd be of my own benefit and the contract would be called off. It'll just be a shame I never got to have a taste of him.

But another question that never left me was...Why me?

The question circled my mind like a vulture as I stood in the middle of his study.

Of all the women in the world, why had I been chosen?

It wasn’t just about the contract. It was the way his father looked at me, the way everyone in this house treated me, like I was some piece of a puzzle they already had the answer to, but I didn’t.

I exhaled sharply and turned my gaze around the room. His office was exactly what I expected, sleek, dark, and designed for a man who lived in power. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined one wall, filled with leather-bound books that I doubted had ever been read. A bar cart sat in the corner, stocked with expensive whiskey, and in the center of it all was his large desk, scattered with neatly stacked files and documents.

If there were answers, they had to be here.

I stepped forward cautiously, my fingers trailing along the polished wood of his desk. This was dangerous…I knew it. But something in my gut told me that whatever I was missing, whatever game the Aldoracco family was playing, the truth had to be buried somewhere in this room.

My hands hovered over the files. Most were marked with numbers and names I didn’t recognize. I flipped through a few, scanning transactions, shipping manifests, illegal dealings disguised in paperwork.

Nothing surprising.

Then, I saw something. It was a file with my picture on the cover.

My breath caught. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for it, my heart pounding with something between fear and curiosity.

What the hell was this?

Why did he have a file on me?

I was about to open it when, out of nowhere, a force slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I gasped as my back hit the desk, the file slipping from my grasp.

A firm grip pinned my wrists, and I was met with the furious, green eyes of Kelvin Aldoracco.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.