Page 4 of Vengeful Mafia Prince

Need to talk. Tell me when you're free.

Couldn't she have been a little more specific? I push the phone away and let out a sigh. I can feel Elena staring at me.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," I assure her. "Nothing to worry about. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

And with that, I get to my feet and head for the door. I can feel her looking after me, probably wondering what has got me on my feet and out of there so quickly, but that's for her to linger on, not me. Maybe she'll wonder if I have a girlfriend—and if she does, she might start thinking about what it could be like to date me.

Yeah, let her think on that all night, and hopefully, she'll be a little closer to seeing me as an actual romantic prospect in the near future.

I pull my coat on as I step out onto the street outside, a grin spreading across my face.

I'm doing it. I'm really fucking doing it. I'm going to take revenge on the people who killed my parents, and I'm going to do it through their sweet young daughter.

And she doesn't know a damn thing about what I have planned for her.

Chapter Two—Elena

I tug my dress down a little, self-conscious about how much leg it shows.

"This is meant to be a professional event!" I say, not really sure who I'm talking to. "I'm going to be seeing the people I work with every day at this thing."

"All the more reason to look good," my father replies calmly. He never lets anything get to him. That's how he's made it so far in this business, I suppose. You can throw anything at him, and it just seems to slide right off, never sticking, never making his life harder than it needs to be, a trait I'm starting to wish I inherited.

As I walk into the first big work event since I started at Carter Enterprises, I feel as though I'm being put on display. Which is ridiculous, really, given that I've met most of these people already. I know them well enough. And they all seem perfectly pleasant to me. Plus, I've earned my place here like everyone else has. I got the best grades in class, that's how I won this internship. I belong here.

So why does this feel like some kind of debutante ball?

I shake my head. This is a charity fundraiser, we're here for a good cause. I would do well to remember that.

As we reach the top of the stairs and head into the main hall where the party is being held, I draw in a long calming breath.

Okay. Okay, I can do this.

No reason to worry. After all, the green dress I'm wearing is pretty, and I did my makeup properly tonight instead of just smearing on some lip balm and mascara as I was running out the door.

My father opens the door for me to step inside, and it feels as though all eyes turn to us the moment I show my face. I know it's not me, it's my father. He's who people are looking at, the boss of this place. They probably want to talk to him about a promotion or some new project they want to kick off. They're far more interested in him than me, I'm sure of it.

They're more scared of you than you are of them, Elena. Come on.

I make my way down the stairs, glad when I see a waiter coming toward us with a tray of champagne balanced on his splayed fingers. I pluck one off, smile at him in thanks, and take a long sip as my father joins me.

"Take it slow, Elena," he warns me.

Though it could just be taken as a worried father making sure his little girl doesn't drink too much, I know there's more to his words than that. He's reminding me to keep in mind who I'm here representing—and make sure I don't do a damn thing to cause him trouble in the long run.

I spot Paula across the room. She's a friend of mine, someone I've been close to since I started working for Kyra. I wave, and she comes over to me, shooting a slightly nervous glance at my father.

"Hi, Elena," she greets me. Her voice sounds a little stilted compared to the warmth I'm normally used to from her, but I get it.

"And Jacob," she adds, nodding to my father. He jerks his head slightly in response.

"Uh, the rest of the department is hanging out over there," Paula explains to me, gesturing to the crowd behind her. "Would you like to come join us?"

"I'd love to!" I drop a kiss on my dad's cheek before I follow her over to the rest of the people I actually know.

It's still strange seeing myself with actual colleagues. I started college last year, but I've been wanting to get out into the world and actually do something. It would have been ideal if I could have found something that I was interested in, but I'm glad to just be able to help out with my father's company. I know how proud he is of everything he's made here, and I want to help him bring it to life.

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