I give Dom a quick smile, but it fades as I swiftly walk around the counter and grab his collar pulling him into my face.
“What the…!” I don’t let him finish that sentence as I shout in his face “You moron!”
"How could you do this!" I shout, shaking him roughly by his collar. "What did I do?" he manages to ask, struggling to break free.
“Show me your phone!” I yell.
“Alright! Alright!” he breathes as he shoves his hand in the front pocket of his jeans and hands me his phone. I free him from my grip and snatch the phone. I know I’m being harsh on him, but I’m mad right now.
I swipe up on the screen to unlock Dom's phone with one hand while swiping mine with the other.
“Where did you save Lizzie’s number?” I glare at him. “I…uh since she dictated her number I saved it in my notes and then forwarded it to you” he shrugs.
There is only one likely explanation, either Dom noted down the wrong number or I messaged the incorrect one.
After I match the numbers I throw a deadly glare at him.
“You pinhead,” I murmur. He leans back, aware of the fact that this time I would choke him to death.
“You…forwarded me the wrong number,” I say, giving his phone back. He is even scared to take it back.
As he should.
He’s speechless. I mean why not? He is the one at fault and not me.
“I…I’m sorry,” he says with a hint of guilt in his voice. “Now don’t kick me out of the job because of that,” he mutters as he slowly leans forward.
I blink a few times before I say “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not mad at you.” and then walk over to the counter.
I sigh as I take a seat and lean back in my chair.
“Emy, I’m truly sorry…I didn’t mean to—No, no just…just leave it,” I interrupt, staring up at the ceiling.
“You must have prepared so much for her,” Dom says. “All of your hard work got wasted because of me,” he continued.
“No, it didn’t,” I glance at him. He raises an eyebrow confusingly.
I shake my head.
“It’s complicated.”
“Oo…” Dom mouths.
I prefer not to talk to him about this at the moment. Like, what will he think? I allowed two men, who were actually part of the mafia, into my home for dinner just because I accidentally messaged one of them?
It would have become super awkward if I had sent them back.
Besides, they were really nice to me.
“Anyway,” I start as I open the register and look for the pending orders. The hotel order….
“Dom,” I say, without making eye contact with him. “You have to drop the order of Lilies and Roses by 9 am at the Double Tree Hotel,” I finally glance at him.
He nods as if he remembers this order.
“But first you have to pick those flower boxes from the salesman?” I stare at him to make sure he can deliver the flowers on time. “I have got this,” he smirks as he gets up from his seat and heads towards the exit door.
That’s what I like the most about Dom. He’s never late for pick-ups and deliveries. Always punctual.
I look down at my registry again and search for the other pending orders. I want to finish these all today only so that tomorrow I can hang out with Lizzie and have some fun with her.
Even though she told me that she would visit my floral shop, I don’t want her to just sit here and get tiresome while I’m busy with customers and their orders.
Anyway, for a while I receive some orders through calls. I give them the exact dates their orders would arrive and hang up. Some customers even complimented me about my shop and how they would love to pay a visit here.
Sometimes I feel so glad that I chose this as my career.
**********
It’s so scorching today.
I grab the cool water bottle from my counter and I flinch as the door of my floral shop slams open.
What the heck?
Two muscular men, appearing highly trained, stride in with heavy weapons slung over their shoulders. Both are dressed in matching black T-shirts and pants. Their expressions are stern.
I stand up from my chair and slowly try to approach them.
Lord, they look scary as hell.
They both position themselves beside the door and when one of them opens it, he enters.
Zack.
His eyes scan the whole shop before it lands on him.
He smiles.
What. In. The. World. Is. He. Doing. Here?
“Pardon me, blossom. I didn’t mean to freak you out with my unexpected visit,” he says it while approaching me.
He called me a what?
“No…it’s fine,” I swallow hard.
I seriously thought he might have forgotten about me.
Come on…he is the mafia man and…he can have as many girls as he wants. I don’t even think I’ll believe him if he says he doesn’t have a girlfriend.
Because ain’t no way.
Wait a second…
Why the hell do I even think that he came for me? Of course, he’s here to buy something from my shop.
“Your shop is well maintained,” he looks around.
I nod and lift myself on my toes as I notice a limo outside my door.
Zack notices my actions and looks over his shoulder.
“What is it?” he asks, glancing towards me. His expression is calm.
“Uhh…Where is your friend whom you brought with you last night?” I ask.
“Keith?”
“Yeah, Keith.”
Zack shrugs and says, “I assigned him a task, so he's occupied with it.”
I nod.
“So, would you like to have some drink?” I ask.
“Thanks, but I would prefer to take a look around your shop,” he grins.
I purse my lips before I say, “Okay.”
I don’t even bother to look at the flowers Emily is introducing to me, because it’s really hard for me to focus on anything other than her captivating presence. I don’t feel attracted to anything thing when she is around.Her face radiates more beauty than any flower. Her scent is more enchanting than any blossom. When she smiles with her pink lips, it feels as if my entire life hinges on that moment.God, why is she like this?Visiting her shop to explore it was just an excuse to meet her again. I want to get close to her. I want to know more about her. I want her to know how much I like her.The first time I met her, she did the exact opposite of what I had expected her to do. She didn’t kick me out or insult me for knocking when I as a stranger to her walked into her house so abruptly. Well, I wouldn’t be mad at her if she had done that to me.She had a right.But she didn’t.Those hours that I spent with her, although she didn’t tell me much about her other than her family and her
I twirl the glass half full of whiskey while using my other hand to rub my forehead, reclining on the sofa.My head hurts.I had texted Emily a few apologies, but she hasn’t replied to any of them. Which clearly means she’s badly hurt by my actions and words…Lord, why am I like this?I really felt bad when I realized how much money she makes that she can barely fulfil her desires. So, I thought to help her with some extra money. But she thought I was showing off my money. Which wasn’t true, of course.But now she hates me…maybe. Or is just upset?However, I surely need to do something to win her heart. But what can I do for her?We aren’t even that close right now.A knock on the door distracts me from my thoughts and I let the person in.Keith.He walks in with a file tucked beneath his arm and sits on the single sofa right next to mine.“You haven’t eaten anything ever since you arrived,” he sighs as he places the file on the wooden table.“I don’t have an appetite,” I mutter as I
I stand by the window of my cozy living room, holding a watering can and gently showering the flower pots. The familiar scent of roses, lilies and daisies fills the air, a comforting reminder of the peaceful life I have built around my passion for flowers.My mind, however, is far from the serenity of my home. It drifts back to Zack.The moment I told him to leave my floral shop I was a bit hesitant, a bit scared of the outcome I’ll get. I expected anger, perhaps even retaliation for the insult I directed at him.Yet, he simply looked at me with a mix of surprise and something I couldn’t quite place. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t try to intimidate me but apologized.But my mood was so bad I didn’t take that apology.So, he left.I felt guilty afterward, but fear overshadowed my feelings. What if he was actually going to take revenge on me for the way I behaved with him?That was another reason why I called him at night.But the moment he answered my call and apologized again. In fa
I wait in my lobby by the staircase in my black suit, gazing at the door, eager to open it as soon as possible, anticipating Emily's arrival.My heart hammers against my chest as I check my watch for the third time in the last five minutes.“You really think she will come?” Keith asks as he’s leaning against the wall. His tone is light but with a hint of doubt.I nod.“She said she would, and I believe her,” my eyes flicker in Keith’s direction.He chuckles, shaking his head. “Man, I have never seen you like this before. This girl has really got you all worked up, huh?”I smile, a rare softness in my expression. “She’s not like anyone I have ever met. When she looks at me, it’s like she sees something more than just…this,” I gesture vaguely around me, indicating the opulence of my surroundings, the wealth and the power that comes with my position.“Yeah, we can take the last incident as an example,” Keith mocks causing me to groan in irritation.“Shut up,”He laughs.“But Zack, are yo
Emily takes a step away from me and turns her gaze toward the city. She doesn’t want to get too close right now, and I understand that. But, I still wonder if that thought drives her crazy too. Anyway as I watch her take in the view, I feel a deep sense of admiration. The way the soft light of the stars reflects in her eyes, the gentle smile on her lips as she gazes out at the city below—it’s a sight that stirs something within me. I have seen a lot of things in my life, but nothing quite like this, nothing quite like her. The way her blonde hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders, the way the yellow dress she’s wearing complements her glowing skin, and the way she seems completely at ease at this moment as if the worries of the world have melted away. She’s beautiful, yes, but it’s more than that. There’s a light in her, something pure and untainted, something that draws me in like nothing else ever has. I’ve stood here a thousand times and looked out at this city more times t
I can’t stop thinking about him.The image of Zack is vivid in my mind. The way he looked at me during dinner, the way his eyes softened when they gazed at the stars together. That night plays over and over in my thoughts like a movie I can’t turn off. I remember the warmth of his hand in mine as he led me to the balcony, the view of the city spread out before us like a glittering tapestry.And that moment, when we almost kissed. That moment was shattered like a glass when his phone rang.But. Did I really want that kiss to happen?Like, we had been so close I still feel the ghost of his breath on my lips.The way my heart was throbbing against my chest when he leaned in, the way my body instinctively moved closer to his—those weren’t things I could easily dismiss. But another part of me, the more cautious part, questions everything.Zack isn’t just any man. He’s a mafia man, someone with a life steeped in danger and secrets. I know there’s so much more to him than what he’s shown me,
I lean against my steel desk, my knuckles white as I grip the edge. My office is dimly lit, the only light coming from the city outside the tall windows. The cold steel of the desk is the only thing keeping me grounded as my fury burns through me like wildfire. In front of me, a row of my guards stands with their heads bowed, shame etched into their faces. None of them dare to look up, knowing the wrath they are about to face.“How?” I begin, my voice sharp and cutting. “How the hell did this all happen in your presence?!” my words slice through the air like a blade, and the guards flinch, but none of them respond.The silence is deafening. I push myself off the desk as I ask “Do you have any idea how important those documents are? How close we came to losing them?”The guards remain silent, their eyes fixed on the floor. I know they feel the weight of their failure, but it does little to quell the anger boiling inside me. I approach one of the guards and stand in front of him, my eyes
I finish аrrаnging thе сounter, mаking sure everything is neаt аnd in plаce. Thе flowers аrе аll orgаnized, thе vаsеs аrе cleаn, аnd thе floor is sweрt. It’s аlreаdy 7 PM, аnd thе shoр is quiеt. Nоrmаlly, I’d bе hаppy tо finаlly closе uр fоr thе dаy аnd hеаd homе, but tоdаy fееls different. I feel… unsettled.I glаnсe аt my phоne, which sits оn thе сounter bеside thе register. Nо nоtificаtiоns, nо missed cаlls, nо tеxts. I bitе my liр, trying nоt tо let it bothеr mе, but I саn’t hеlр it. It’s bееn аll dаy, аnd I hаven’t hеаrd а wоrd from Zаck. Nоt а single mеssаge, nоt even а quick chеck-in. It’s nоt likе him. Нe’s usuаlly good аbоut keeping in tоuch, even if it’s just а short teхt.I tаke а dееp breаth, telling mysеlf nоt tо оverthink it. Нe’s probаbly just busy. Нe hаs а lot оn his plаte, аfter аll, аnd I саn’t еxpеct him tо bе аvаilаble every secоnd оf thе dаy.Anywаy, аs I grаb my рurse аnd shovе my stuff intо it, my phоne bеeps. A widе grin аppeаrs оn my fаce аs I quiсkly grаb it
I was planning to go after Fernando after I was done with Noah and his other men. However, when Emily told me about her condition, I went numb, my chest ached but I refused to let pain be visible on my face. Her words sliced through my heart like a sharp blade and at that moment it felt like nothing else mattered but her.Even now, I’m only drawn to her. I can’t think of anything else but the ways that can recover her from the sickness she is enduring.I slightly turn my head and look at sleepy Emily. Her head rests on my shoulder, and her hands clutch my arm gently. Of course, she was tired, it took us fourteen hours to reach here. We landed an hour ago, and now we are travelling in the car to the apartment I booked for both of us.It’s 11 pm already.If I had wanted to, I would have taken her to my mansion, which I own in the UK, but since my guards take care of that place, she probably wouldn’t like it.But whatever, my duty is to make her feel comfy whenever I take her somewhere.
“Emily?”I hum in sleep.“Emily, wake up,” someone says softly and I feel the warmth of someone’s skin against mine. Someone cupping my face and pushing back the loose strands of my hair.I know who it is.I open my eyes slowly and my gaze meets Zack’s hazel eyes. He’s sitting next to me on the bed. I don’t remember when I fell asleep. It’s interesting how I didn’t have a stomachache again last night.“Wake up,” he mutters as his eyes soften. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips.“Hey,”“Now, get up. And pack your necessary accessories,” he says and slips down from the bed. “However, I don’t think you will need to because I have made arrangements, already.”“What?” I narrow my brows. I stretch my arms as I rise and straighten my back. “But why?”“We are going to the UK,” he says as he buttons up his white shirt while looking into the dressing mirror. “Come on now.”“Oh,” I mutter. “So, you want to spend all your time with me until I’m no longer alive?"He pauses and stares at my refl
I switch to the food channels and toss the remote on the table. Leaning back on the couch I watch the old woman cook and discuss the ingredients she’s using to make the dish.I have been rotting on the couch for more than three hours. I don’t feel sleepy either. I drank two cups of herbal tea but I don’t think my health is willing to improve. A few minutes ago I had abdominal pain again. And guess what? It was worse than the previous one.I did try to get up but then immediately felt as if I’d pass out. I don’t feel sleepy, yet feel sluggish to take a step. God knows how I managed to prepare another cup of herbal tea for myself.As I pull my legs up to my chest after kicking off the slippers, I hear my doorbell ring.My heart throbs in my chest, threatening to break my ribs. It’s 1 am, for God’s sake. Who could it be?Don’t tell me it’s them again. Those scary guys. The bell rings again.I swallow hard as I struggle to get on my feet. Taking each step slowly, I walk out of the living
The footsteps grow thicker, advancing toward the basement door where I have captured Kylo. It’s funny, considering how easily they obeyed him instead of being suspicious. However, I can’t tell if they were playing along, too.I pull the slider of my gun and aim it at Kylo’s head before the door flings open with a loud thud.“Kylo-” Bryce comes into my view. At first, he narrows his eyebrows in chaos but as soon as realisation hits him, his eyes widen in scepticism.The other men stand behind him, sharing the same expression.“What the-” Bryce says, stepping further into the room.“Imagine going after someone in order to sneak into a mafia’s system. And not any mafia, but the one who owns the half of the America,” I say. “Sounds absurd, right?”“I can’t believe it,” the bald guy says, feeling deceived. Noah. “This can’t be real. You’re not-”“I am, Zack Torres. Now stop convincing yourself that I’m not real,” I scoff.I scan each of them. “There are only six of you? That means Emily was
There are a large number of people inside the building so it would be imprudent to get inside with guns. It will create a mess that those guys will take great advantage of.The only way to catch them is to get them out of that building somehow.“So?” Keith asks, his fingers flying over the keyboard of his laptop. “What are you up to?”I glance out of the car window before looking at Keith again. “Did you hack the CCTV camera, yet?” I ask, ignoring his question.At first, I thought they might have disconnected the cameras from their room so nobody could hear their conversation, but I was wrong. They didn’t seem to really care about that.Keith sighs. “You’re overly stretching this matter. The idea of getting into the building while disguised as normal people and meeting them sounds good to me.”“No, it will cause unimaginable consequences,” I argue.“But they won’t even recognize us,” he murmurs.“Oh, so you mean they will warmly welcome someone they don’t even recognize?” I raise a br
Fifty-plus messages from Zack and I haven’t replied to any of them. I’ve been ignoring his calls, too. I’m not in the right frame of mind to face him and answer his unending questions.I’m uncertain if I’ll be able to make him despise me.I open the door to the living room, step inside, hold my mug filled with herbal tea, and sit comfortably on the couch.I’m about to turn on the television when my phone buzzes on the table. I look closer and notice Lizzie’s number pop up.Oh, here we go, again.I pick up my phone and swipe up to answer it. I gently press the phone against my ear while I take a sip of my tea.“Hello, princess!” she sounds as if she has been desperate to talk to me. “How are you doing?”I’m afraid she will not like my answer.“I’m good,” I say, trying to sound as cheerful as she is. But it doesn’t matter, she won’t be able to recognise that uneasiness in my voice because I have always been like this. Unenergetic.“What about you?” I ask after taking another sip from my
I place my hand on the scanner and the moment it beeps, the doors slide open, letting me into the cell. My footsteps echo through the hallway. As I get nearer to one of the doors, the screams grow louder. It feels as if I’m in hell and people are getting punished for their sins.Even though I’m one of the sinners.I enter the code, which is located on the wall next to the door and the door opens.My eyes land on Orson, whose hands have been chained to the wall. I move closer to him and notice blood dripping down from his nose, his left eye has swelled and turned purple, his shirt has been torn and blood is stained on it. Some part of me is a little satisfied to see him in such a filthy condition. He deserves this after all.I look over my shoulder and find my guards standing erect. Their knuckles are bloodied as they have been torturing Orson for two hours.I glance at Orson, his head hanging down between his shoulders."You know, your words didn’t make any sense to me when you were b
Dr Little tosses my tests on the table as he rubs his face. His expression tells me that something is not right. After I told him about my symptoms, he asked me to undergo a few tests and then bring back the results to him. I followed his instructions, spending hours in labs to get everything done, but then I returned and showed him the reports. And now, that I have finally returned with the results, hoping for some clarity, I watch his reaction. It’s obvious the results haven’t met his expectations—or worse.“Emily, I’m afraid,” he mutters as he takes off his glasses, glancing at me. His eyes have no confidence.“What is it, Dr Little?” I ask, my voice laced with concern.“It’s a bad news,” he sighs.“Please, tell me what’s the matter?” I ask as my body gets tensed.“Your blood cell count is low,” he continues. “When you first told me about your symptoms I thought you only had anemia which is curable.”“What do you mean ‘only’?” I narrow my brows.“Emily…,” he clears his throat befor
I will start going back to the floral shop tomorrow. Zack might get upset about this, so I prefer not to mention it to him. Besides, going to work is just a distraction from what happened. I can’t shake off the feeling of being scared. Their voices still echo in my head, and I want to find a way to get rid of them.I run my fingers through my hair as I advance toward the bed and grab my phone which is resting on the table lamp.My eyes land on the recent message that is from Zack.ZACK: Hey, Blossom. Is everything alright there?ME: Yeah. Are you home, yet?ZACK: No, I’m up to my ears. It’s going to take a lot of time.ME: Zack, please don’t pressure yourself too much into this matter. You need a break.ZACK: I would feel restless anyway until I find those guys.I sigh and give myself a moment before texting him back.ME: Alright but please be safe.ZACK: Relax, darling. I think you need some sleep.ME: Goodnight.As I’m about to switch off my phone, a drop of red liquid lands on the s