Page 28 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

I had Enzo find me the most beautiful art gallery, and I paid double of every piece in the gallery to have it shut down for the day. I observed the decor, checking the lighting and the food on the dinner table to make sure everything was perfect. Satisfied with the outcome of things, it was finally time to go get her.

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“Hey,” she greeted, walking up to me with a smile.

My eyes raked through her body, taking her all in. It didn’t matter that I had already seen her naked, buried myself balls deep into her, or that I woke up next to her and had been with her since yesterday, this woman would always knock the air out of my lungs.

“Is this the dress you wore at the club?” I asked, my eyes glued to her.

“You said it was a special night, and I thought how better to make a night special than to recreate the moment I met you.” She stood before me, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

I trailed my fingers through the thin strap of the dress, feeling her breath hitch as I moved my fingers to the deep cut of the dress in her neck. I felt like I had traveled back in time and was reliving the night I spotted her dancing in my club. I could remember our first conversation, the sound of her laughter, our first kiss, everything.

“I’ve never been happier to have been at the club at the time,” I said, and she smiled in return.

I dropped my hands from her body, putting a safe distance between us before I forgot what the purpose of the night was. There’ll be time for other things, a lot of time. But now, there was something more important.

I held the car open for her. “After you.”

The drive to the gallery was swift and consisted of Arielle asking me where we were going and what I had planned for the short duration.

We finally arrived at the gallery, and I found my heart picking a ridiculous pace. I felt like a teenager taking his crush on a first date and hoping she’d like what he planned. That was stupid. Arielle would like this. No, Arielle would love this. It was very deep in her element. There was no need for panic.

Panic. Even the word had a weird taste to it. I would so much love to deny it, but even I couldn’t disagree with the fact that I was panicking a little bit.

“Ready?” I asked, gripping the door handle.

“Ready for an art gallery? I’d be ready on my deathbed.”

A light chuckle left me, and I felt lighter. It was another thing I loved about her, how she made everything easier.

I mentally counted to three before pulling the door open and stepping aside to usher her in. I stood still as she walked in, watching her face for any form of reaction. She appeared confused at first before realization dawned on her, and she spun to face me.

“You set this up?” she asked, taking in the decor. I had asked for most of the artwork to be taken in, except a few I found interesting, and the rest of the space was replaced with reflections of Van Gogh’s starry night. I wanted her to feel like she had been transported onto the canvas.

“You like it?” I asked, watching her face. She looked surprised, shocked at her marrows, and I found the jealous side of me, hoping no other guy had done this for her in the past. I wanted everything about this night to be new, pure, and untainted.

“Do I like it? I love it! I love it, Mikhail. This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me,” she exclaimed, throwing herself into my arms.

I hugged her tightly, a fluffy feeling growing in my chest. “I’m glad you love it. Happy Birthday, princess.” I captured her lips in a quick kiss.

“This way,” I said, leading her to the little dining setup.

“I know this might be considered rude by many, but I’m really asking this from a place of awe and pleasant surprise. How did you do this?” she asked, looking around the gallery as she settled into her chair.

“I rented the gallery out for the night,” I supplied, not giving out further information.

“And the starry night? How did you do it? I feel like I’m inside Van Gogh’s art.” She rambled off, her voice heavy with excitement.

I chuckled, pulling out a plate and dishing out her dinner since she was too excited to do that for herself. “Why don’t we focus on the night for now? I could give you every detail you need to know about later.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just really—it’s just too. Everything is so beautiful.” She rambled, and a smile stretched out my lips.

“So, how was brunch with the girls?” I asked, placing the plate of pasta and grilled salmon in front of her.

“It was fun.” She smiled, closing her eyes like she was conjuring up the moment. “We had tea, and we talked about everything and anything. We played a couple of games, and they presented me with gifts.”

She had the goofiest smile, and I could feel the fluffy feeling from earlier return to my chest. “I’m glad you had a great day.”

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