Page 63 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

It felt strange hearing others call me Cara at first, but I’ve come to love the peace that came with it. I knew if I wanted a clean slate, I had to be honest.

I owed it to my son.

*****

I made it to the station just in time and squeezed through the Monday morning rush to secure a seat before the train took off. The ride from Monza to Milan was approximately 30 minutes, so I made myself comfortable, pulling out the interview questions I downloaded last night for a final review.

I could answer the questions with my eyes closed, but I still couldn’t shake off the nerves. This was the first real corporate interview I was attending and my first time pulling out my resume. Every job I had taken in the past was already prepared by Father, and I just had to show up for formalities.

A kid sitting in front of me began wailing out of nowhere, and the sound irritated my already sensitive nerves further. I hated this life with everything in me. I hated constantly depending on public amenities, living from paycheck to paycheck, and notbeing able to give the best to Jason. I had an account overflowing with money, but there was no way for me to make a withdrawal without alerting someone of my presence. I couldn’t reach out to Vivian either. The last I heard of her was when I called to inform her of Jason’s birth, and placing a call would be too risky.

The world was really round and rotating and would bring you right back where you started. In my case, it was back to being alone with no family. The only difference was, this time, I was a fugitive with a child, but I was back to being that orphanage kid with no family, and it hurts more now that I've tasted what it feels like to have one.

I let out a frustrated sigh and pulled out my phone and googledThe New York Times. It was a practice that had become part of my morning routine, and while I told myself it was my way of keeping up with the city, I knew damn well what I was doing. I keyed in a name into the search bar and relaxed as pictures of him flooded my screen. The noise from the chattering citizens and wailing child faded into a dull echo. The pictures were mostly of him at corporate dinners and charity galas. I noted the consistent absence of a woman in his arms or any rumors surrounding him and one, and I felt myself slightly relax. I don’t know why I did this every day. It was hopeless, but somehow, it comforted me.

*****

“You have the most impressive resume I’ve seen in a while. How is it you’ve never worked anywhere?” The interviewer asked, and my palms instantly grew sweaty.

I would’ve been surprised if the question never came up. My resume was practically a file containing my schools, grades,performance, and projects I headed as a student. I had intentionally removed traces of any past work experience in case they decided to send emails for inquiries.

I took a deep breath and supplied the answer Anna and I had prepared for the question. “I was in an accident, and my spine was injured. It took a while for me to fully recover.”

The interviewer slowly nodded, and a look of empathy overshadowed his curiosity. “I’m sorry about that. Anyway,” he continued, carefully tucking my file to the side, “is there anything we need to know about the accident? Any way it can affect your performance?”

“Not at all,” I pulled out a medical report Anna had gotten from God knows where. “I recovered over a year ago, and I cleared with my doctor before working my previous job at a lounge.”

“Alright. You're hired. Work hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The receptionist will give you a handbook containing all you need to know and the company keycard,” he replied, not bothering to take a look at my report.

“Just,” I cleared my throat, “Just like that?”

He blinked at me. “You don't think you deserve it?”

“No, not at all,” I rushed out. “I expected—never mind, thank you. I won’t disappoint you.”

“I need you to sign here so we can enter your name into the system for easy access when you come in tomorrow,” he said, handing me a three-page document. I was too excited to carefully read it and merely skimmed over it and signed it.

“See you bright and early tomorrow, Miss Kincaid.” He dismissed me with a kind smile, and I made my way to the elevator, grinning like an idiot. I couldn’t wait to share the news with Anna and Jason. I might even make a quick stop at the Chinese place to grab us a celebratory dinner.

Finally, inside the elevator, I let out the happiest squeal and leaned into the steel walls, welcoming the cold feeling of the metal against my skin. Today might just be the happiest day since my boy was born. The elevator came to a stop midway, and I quickly got off the wall, relaxing my facial expression to a neutral one before whoever was coming mistakes me for a crazy woman.

The doors slid open and the polite greeting I had prepared immediately vanished, my warm smile dripping with it.

My heart sank to the pits of my stomach, and I almost passed out from my nerves going haywire. I blinked multiple times, willing the figure in front of me to disappear, but it persisted, strong, bold, and confident.

He took a step into the elevator, and dread poured over me like rainwater, drenching me to the bones despite the cold in the elevator. I could feel goosebumps spreading all over my skin. I prayed to every god known to man for him to not recognize me, but he looked me right in the eye and took a second step further, and my prayer died in my tongue.

CHAPTER 28

Mikhail

Three years. Three fucking years and she struted into my establishment like it was her runway, hiding beneath brunette curls and hazel-colored contacts.

I almost missed her if not for the characteristic sway of her hips and the major detail that she was, in fact, putting on a red dress. A fucking red dress, again.

Rage. Red, burning rage cursed through my veins turning my blood molten as I stared at the CCTV camera. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of my thieving receptionist, but I was presented with Cara fucking Kincaid.

“Sir?” The IT guy called my attention following a question I didn’t care for.

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