Page 71 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

“Really,” he sneered. “So, you didn’t want to kiss me then? Was it a part of your Oscar-worthy acting skill?”

“Mikhail,” I tried to stop him, but he completely ignored me and continued with his accusations.

“And while we’re on the topic, I’d also love to know if your moans and repeated orgasms were a part of your job description, or do you whore yourself out to every man you had to spy on?”

Regret flashed through his eyes as soon as the words left his lips, but it was too late to take it back. It hit me straight in the gut and cut through every protective wall I’ve built to protect myself. I could feel tears prickling at the corner of my eyes, but I held them in.

I couldn’t find the words to fight back with, partly because he wasn’t entirely wrong. I’ve had to resort to unethical means to guarantee results for my work, and I always told myself if sacrificing myself for the greater good was all it would take to make things better, then it was a small price to pay. I just didn’t expect it to hurt this bad coming from someone else.

“Arielle,” he said softly, standing from his seat and walking towards me. “I didn’t mean it that way. I was just very angry. I am angry at a lot of things.”

He lifted his hand to touch me, but I flinched, taking a few steps backward.

He let out a soft sigh and continued his speech. “I’m angry at your deception. I’m angry at how easily you’re moving on despite wrecking my life. I’m angry at how you can still laugh and dance with other men when I can’t even stand the sight of another woman, and most importantly, I’m angry at myself for still caring about who you’re dancing with after all these years and what you did.”

His anger was valid, but words had been said, and they could not be taken back. I straightened my spine, gathered the last shred of dignity in me, and walked out of his office. He didn’t try to stop me, and I didn’t wait for him to.

Once I was out of the building, I finally let the tears run down my cheeks. I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked walking down the streets of Milan at night with tears running down my eyes and my mascara probably smeared all over my eyes. I was in so much pain, and I just needed to curl into my bed and cry till I couldn’t produce any more tears.

Some passers-by whispered amongst themselves, pointing fingers at me as I crossed to the opposite side of the road, and I made no attempt to hide my face. Mikhail had already broken every last fight in me, and today would be my last day at work. To hell with him and his employment clause. He could take me to court if he wanted to, but I would never set foot in that building again.

My hiccups slowly subsided, and I found myself in the low-lit alley leading to the train station. Immediately, my senses heightened, and that’s when I saw a male figure from the corner of my eyes, lurking in the shadows. His silhouette was not distinct, but his intentions were crystal clear.

Before I could react, I felt a damp cloth cover my mouth and nose. Panic coursed through my veins as I fought against the chloroform’s suffocating grip. My legs buckled, and the world spun into a thick blanket of darkness. The last thing in my mind as I felt my consciousness slip away was my son. What would happen to my sweet boy?

CHAPTER 32

Mikhail

I paced my office, blaming myself for the turn of events. I should’ve left her dancing with Antonio. It wasn’t my business how firmly his arms gripped her waist or how loudly she was laughing at his jokes. I should’ve turned a blind eye to all of it.

My phone chose the exact moment to go off, and I almost tossed it out of the window before I caught a glimpse of the caller ID.

“Good evening, Don.” David greeted me the moment I clicked on the receiver. He was one of Enzo’s men, but he has worked closely with me for a while, and he currently reports directly to me instead.

“What is it?”

“Following your request to run a background check on Miss Kincaid, we found her with a little boy. We had our doubts, but we were able to take a lock of his hair after she dropped him off at school yesterday and ran a DNA test on him. The result just came out. He’s yours.”

My blood ran cold, and my grip on the phone tightened. The world came to a slow stop as the weight of his words sank into me. I have a son. I have an heir somewhere.

“Sir?” David’s voice pulled me back into the present, and my shock was immediately replaced with anger.

How many layers were there to her lies and betrayal? Every time I felt I had her figured out, she pulled up with a brand new skin. She worked in this office with me for months, looked me in the eye every day, and argued with me some days while completely hiding a whole son from me. Not once did she slip or give away anything that indicated she had a child.

Her constant need to return home early finally made sense, and I wondered what she must’ve told him about me.

“Send me her address,” I ordered, grabbing my car key and rushing to the elevator. I was supposed to be the one to present the awards to the employee tonight, but none of that weighed anything at the moment. I had a feeling that if I wasted a minute, I’d arrive to find her gone with my child.

I broke every road traffic law and had both pedestrians and other drivers hurling curses at me on my way to her house. A drive of thirty minutes became fifteen minutes, and I was parked in front of her apartment in no time.

I marched up the stairs, rage cursing through me as I rehearsed everything I was going to say to her the moment she opened the door. I would expose her for who she is, and no court would allow someone with a double identity to take custody of a child. I would take him from her and throw her to the wolves to devour.

Coming after my business was one thing. She wasn’t special in that sense. Breaking my heart was quite the achievement, but hiding my child from me was something else entirely, something I would never forgive. I wasted no time banging my fist on thedoor once I got to her apartment. I didn’t care if her neighbors woke up. I’d be glad if they did so. They would be witnesses.

I lifted my arm to strike the door again when it cracked open, and a strawberry blonde woman appeared at the doorway. I opened my mouth to apologize, but a mop of black hair appeared next to her, and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen stared up at me, knocking the air out of my lungs.

The woman looked at me and back at the boy then looked at me again. “How can I help you?”

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