AN AFFAIR WITH MY HUSBAND (FIVE)

ONE YEAR LATER.

—GIANNA (RENEE)—

I yawned slightly, attempting to turn, only to be restrained by a man's hands on my waist. My eyes widened. “Shit. Shit. Shit!” I cursed, hurriedly buttoning my shirt and searching for my shoes. When I couldn't locate them, I stepped out barefoot, draping his coat over my body for modesty.

After a few minutes of searching, I finally found a taxi and jumped in, struggling to organize my racing thoughts. I ran my fingers through my hair, my mind drifting back to him. I couldn't just leave him without an explanation—not after everything we'd been through. He didn't deserve that, and deep down, I knew I wanted him.

“Turn around,” I instructed the taxi driver.

“Huh?”

“Take me back to where you picked me up,” I clarified.

“You’ll still pay me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, just go!” I rolled my eyes, nibbling on my fingers in agitation.

The driver shifted the car into reverse, but in an instant, from the corner of my eye, I spotted a truck barreling toward us. Boom! The crash was deafening, sending us off the bridge into darkness.

---

I jolted awake, panting heavily as I surveyed my room. The windows were open, and the air conditioner was on, yet I was drenched in sweat.

Rubbing my forehead, I slid down from the bed just as a knock sounded on the door.

“Renee, it’s Carl.”

I quickly slipped on my robe, wrapping it tightly around myself before opening the door. Carl stood there, smiling at me. “Good morning, beautiful.”

“What’s up?” I asked, stifling another yawn.

“Sergio wants to see you.”

“I’ll be down shortly,” I replied.

“It’s urgent. He wants to see you now.”

“Fine.” I sighed, defeated, and slipped on a pair of slides. “Let’s go.” I stepped out of the room, and Carl led me toward Sergio's office.

As we walked, my thoughts drifted back to the nightmare I'd just endured.

“Carl?” I called, and he turned to me as we entered the elevator.

“Is something wrong, cara mia?”

“I think I was married before,” I confessed, spilling my thoughts.

Carl chuckled. “You were a stripper. Who would marry a stripper?”

“Care to explain that?”

I frowned, and I could see the realization flicker in his eyes. “Hey, I’m sorry— it just doesn’t sit well with me. The idea of you being married.”

“Well, my nightmares about the accident keep coming back, and each time it’s different. This time, someone called me his wife. He’s the same man I was with in the car just before I jumped in that taxi.”

“Did you see him clearly?”

“No, it’s still blurry,” I sighed.

“Look, Renee, don’t stress about it. Your memories will resurface soon. If you were married, your husband would have come looking for you by now. It’s been a year; he’s probably moved on.”

“Yeah, right.” I responded, reluctant to discuss it further, especially since Carl wouldn’t be of any help.

It was foolish of me to think someone would have married me after I had just learned about my job as a stripper a year ago. Maybe I was just losing my grip on reality, picturing things that never existed.

When we arrived at the office, Sergio was sitting with his legs crossed atop the table, puffing on his pipe. He flashed a broad smile upon seeing me.

“Good morning, princess.”

“Good morning, Gio,” I replied, pulling out the chair in front of him and taking a seat while Carl positioned himself beside him as his right-hand man.

“I have something I want you to do for me,” Sergio began, exhaling a cloud of smoke that filled the room with a faint smell of marijuana.

“Sure, go ahead,” I urged, adjusting my sitting position.

Since Sergio and his associates had rescued me from that accident, I had pledged my loyalty to him. Instead of stripping, he’d offered me a job as an assassin under Abyss—his mafia organization. I had been doing well, hoping my memories would return soon, so I could understand where I stood. It was clear I wasn’t married, so maybe, just maybe, I had a family that wanted me.

“Tobias Whitlock just announced his marriage two weeks ago,” he informed me.

I knew Tobias was his half-brother. Sergio was an illegitimate child and harbored deep resentment for reasons that ran deep.

Tobias had taken everything from him and earned the title of the most favored child. His mother had forced their father to cut Sergio off financially when she became pregnant with Tobias. Despite being the youngest of the Whitlock brothers, Tobias had the chance to go to college while Sergio had not, and now he had inherited the family’s construction company after building his own.

That was more than enough reason to raid his house and eliminate him. But Sergio had bigger plans in mind.

“His wife is looking for a maid. I want you to apply for the job.”

My eyes widened in shock. “What? Why?” Even if he wanted to kick me out, a respectable job would be better than that miserable life.

“We need to gather dirt on Tobias. From the looks of it, an affair is the quickest way to trap him.”

“An affair?”

Sergio smirked, rising to his feet. “Yes, an affair. You’re going to seduce Tobias Whitlock.”

“Hell no, Renee hasn't fully recovered, boss.”

“Leave that to me to decide, Carl. Keep your feelings out of this.” Sergio snapped, and Carl grunted, turning away.

I wasn’t surprised that Carl had feelings for me; he made it abundantly clear. My main concern was this new assignment. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

“What makes you so sure she can handle this whole seduction thing?” Carl interjected, and I wished he would just be quiet. I didn’t need to defend myself.

Sergio laughed before looking at me. “The girl is a knockout. Just being in her presence gets me revved up. Tobias won’t know what hit him.”

I rolled my eyes at his crass comment. I could handle the seduction, but the idea of posing as a maid didn’t sit well with me.

“Why do I have to act like a maid? How long is this going to take?”

“Just three months, and it’s the only vacant position I can use to slip you in. Just endure it; you’ll be rewarded handsomely.”

“How much?”

“Fifty million. You can pay off your debt to me for saving your life. Think about it—”

“I’m in.”