Chapter 4

Alissa watched for the third time this week as the Capo and his men made it towards the private airstrip to board the private jet, they were probably planning something big but her anger made her leave the big table, she hans’t been in the club since that night and she hasn’t been in the same room alone with Russo since the kiss. He has been doing a very good job at avoiding her and the worst part was him taking away most of her access. She coudln’t access most of the place she used to access before and now she just feels like a redundant person around here. 

“I wonder what it feels like to be the capo’s girl just as soon as you come on board?” One of the harem girls asked with a snicker and Alissa knew the jab was meant for her, bold of them to assume she was going to grace them with a reply. They probbaly haven’t heard of her club expenditures or that the fact that she literally killed smokey to get on this team, maybe that’s why they are getting so bold to disrespect her. 

“And get tossed right out almost immediately, even Ayana lasted more than that” Another girl replied and Alissa didn’t move away from the window, she kept on watching and as if Russo could see her, he turned back to look at the direction she was watching from. He boarded the plane and she watched them jet off. 

“Now i know why he doesn’t frequent the harem. If i was him, I’d ratehr die than be caught fucking you. Good thing he has a great tatse in women, because that would have even be more embarrassing than waiting around all your life to be used by a man who wouldn’t look at you twice.” She retorted and they both went silent. Too bad she wasn’t in the mood to exchange words today, sine they didn’t reply her anymore, she continued to stare out of the window. 

Alissa got up from the chair when she ws sure the harem girls were gone and she started wandering aimlessly. She had no idea where she waas going but she was sure of one thing, she wasn’t going to sit around and mop like she just got dumped. She had a job to do, she had na obligation to the FBI, she ws going to deliver alessandro Russo to them alive and she was going to climb up in ranks.

With a new resolve to let her anger stop getting the best out of her, and focusing on letting everyone think that she’s their friend, she would penetrate them so deep that they wouldn’t see the betrayal coming. Somehow knowing she was going to get back at everyone made her feel even more better, and she felt more proud of herself. With a new plan in mind, she decided to visit the kitchen and befriend the cooks. 

—-----

Alissa yes on her bed watching the ceiling or at least she was pretending to. Her attempt to make friends at the kitchen had been foiled. They didn’t even like her right away and that made her wonder the kind of rumors that has been going on around here about her. 

Alissa had never been good at dealing with silence, and these past two weeks had been filled with nothing but the crushing weight of it. It felt like everyone here was watching her closely and they were waiting for her to slip up, to do something stupid so they could say they were right about her. 

Russo, her enigmatic boss and the notorious mafia boss of the city, had been giving her the cold shoulder. It was as if she had ceased to exist in his world, and she couldn't figure out why. Every day, she'd hoped for some sign, some word from him, but it had been futile. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought that the kiss was unsettling him, but Unsettling was the last word to deceive Alessandro Russo. 

That man just didn’t care about anyone or any feelings. So she concluded he was punishing her emotionally for stepping out of line and for fighting in the club. It wasn’t her fault that the idiot felt like he could speak to her anyhow and get away with it. 

She sat in her dimly lit room, replaying their last interaction over and over in her mind. She had tried to ban memories of the kiss to the back of her mind but it was impossible even for her. This is her first undercover job where she had to constantly remind herself the purpose of her jobs. Even men say colder than Russo, she  had brought them down to their knees. Maybe she needed a break or maybe she was slipping up. She tried to convince herself that Russo avoiding her was the best thing for her job. 

Alissa opened her eyes just to see Russo’s cold ones piercing through her gaze and she was startled. Talk about the devil and he appears. She wondered how long he had been standing over her head and watching her sieve through her thoughts. 

“Don’t scare me like that again, I almost go an heart attack.” She scoffed and Russo either didn’t hear her or he didn’t give a damn. She didn’t get any response and she sat up. She wanted to hear what brought him down to her room especially when he had spent the entirety of the last two weeks pretending she didn’t exist. 

"Get dressed," he'd ordered, his tone brooking no argument. Alissa blinked, still in shock from his sudden presence and the urgency in his voice. She scrambled to her feet, unsure of what had changed, but she knew better than to question him. Russo was a man of few words, and she'd learned that silence was often his way of conveying the most important messages.

Maybe she was forgiven or he was trying to test her if she had learnt her lesson. 

In record time, Alissa was dressed and ready. Her nerves buzzed with anticipation as she followed Russo through the winding corridors of their safehouse. The dimly lit passages and the weight of secrecy pressed down on her shoulders, but she pushed forward, determined to unravel the mystery of his recent behavior.

They emerged into an underground restaurant, a hidden gem known only to a select few. The ambiance was intimate, a stark contrast to their recent interactions. The soft glow of candlelight bathed the room in a warm embrace, casting shadows that danced with secrets. Alissa couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of it, even as her heart raced with uncertainty.

Russo guided her to a secluded corner, away from prying eyes. Their conversation began with small talk, but the air was charged with unspoken tension. Alissa looked around, hoping to see if there are other people joining them for this dinner, but the table was only set of two, and they were both seated. Alissa knew there’s more to the dinner that he was saying but she was sticking to the rules, she wouldn’t speak or ask questions unless she was asked first. 

A man like Alessandro is unpredictable and kept her on edge too many times. 

She decided to go along with the flow, if they were here for food, then they would enjoy it in total silence. It’s been a while she had premium meal like this. Cooked like it’s meant for the 1% of the 1%. As they savored their meals, Russo finally broke the silence, his voice low and tainted with something Alissa would translate as veiled threat. 

"Alissa, I need your trust more than ever now, mostly I need you with a clear head and zero anger from whatever it is your past trauma is. I did a background check on you, the kind that searches for information only men like me can get. Cost me very much but it was worth it.” 

Her gaze locked onto his, searching for answers in his intense, stormy eyes. Hearing that he has been running background checks on her could mean a lot of things. 

"So what did you find? I’m guessing something that pleased you, because that the reason I’m getting dinner instead of being tortured or killed.” She replied, trying to feign casualness but her whole stomach was in knots and the food was running tasteless even faster than she imagined, was her cover blown already. 

He ignored her question again and proceeded to eat like she wasn’t sitting across from him. She tried not to have a panic attack and pretend as if her cover wasn’t blown. 

"There's a job, a dangerous one. We need to move fast, and I need you by my side and in your right senses. Who knows, maybe you’d be promoted too.” 

He continued and the relief flood into Alissa’s chest. Putting her on a job meant her cover was still intact and he was starting to warm up with her. It took all of her power not to stand up and do a mini dance of joy. 

“I thought you were going to fire me, and now you’re offering me a mission. This feels like a dream come true because early this morning, I could have sworn that I’d be jet off to somewhere or returned back home because my services are no longer needed here.” She rambled and he shook his head. 

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and for a fleeting moment, the weight of their unspoken feelings hung heavy in the air. But they couldn't dwell on that now; danger loomed on the horizon. His eyes drifted to her full lips for a millisecond and he reined in those nasty thoughts immediately. 

“Let’s enjoy our meal in peace. Dining here cost me an arm and a leg and no, I’m not apologizing or trying to bribe you.” He replied and Alissa nodded in understanding, she continued her meal. 

“By the way, I’m sorry about your father and I’m sorry about everything that happened to you as a child.” He said out of the blues and Alissa froze again. She had no faintest idea about what he was saying  and it made her wonder what kind of profile was created for her after her departure, she doesn’t even know her own story. 

“I guess that’s life.” She replied with a faint smile and she hoped she was sticking to the script.