Page 32 of His

I spent the rest of the afternoon combing through the paperwork. I didn’t waste a moment, trying to find any hint of foul play and by the time the sun set in the west just outside my window, I hadn’t found anything at all.

Whoever had done this to Marco was good at what they do and that worried me.

That worried me a lot.

CHAPTER 10

Sofia

Ifinished the last sip of my coffee, savoring the warmth and flavor as it spread over my tongue. The breakfast put in front of me was more than I could ever eat, and the chef still seemed to be making something else, but I didn’t pay much attention as to what, because I couldn’t even think about stomaching another bite.

I glanced down at myself, still wearing nothing but Massimo’s oversized button-up shirt. It hung loosely on my frame, barely reaching mid-thigh. Embarrassed, I blushed thinking about how I was wearing nothing underneath, but somehow, I still felt warm and cared for, because it was exactly how he wanted me to be.

Because he liked me this way.

As if on cue, the door to the kitchen opened, and in walked two men, two perfect strangers. I rushed to pull my shirt down, ensuring that it covered as much of my body as it could. I almostsqueaked in surprise, but luckily, I swallowed it back before I made a sound.

One of the men was built like a mountain. He was tall, extremely muscular, and broad-shouldered with a commanding presence, like a cage fighter or some sort of bodyguard, while the other had a leaner build and piercing green eyes, but an equally imposing aura about him. They paused when they saw me, and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks.

Oh, my God. Please let the shirt not be see-through…

“Well, well, well,” the taller one said with a grin, “the boss never brings a lady home, let alone has one stay the night. You must be someone really special.”

I felt my face flush even more. “I—uh, I’m Sofia.”

The other man chuckled. “I’m Leo, the boss’s consigliere. And this is Stefano, his chief enforcer.”

Stefano nodded, a playful smile on his lips. “Nice to meet you, Sofia. It’s not every day we see someone wearing the boss’s shirt. He must really like you.”

If I hadn’t been so embarrassed, I would have liked his teasing nature, but right now I just wanted a black hole to open up beneath my feet and swallow me whole.

My cheeks were on fire now. There would be no coming back from this. I prayed that they wouldn’t know that I was naked underneath this shirt.

“Nice to meet you both too,” I stammered.

Leo tilted his head, scrutinizing me a bit more closely. “You look familiar. Do we know you from somewhere? Have you been around the estate before?”

I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell them the truth. Would they know my father? Was he that caught up in all of this?

“No, I haven’t been here before, but you may know my father. I’m Marco De Luca’s daughter,” I explained.

Both men’s eyes widened in recognition, and I shifted a bit uncomfortably in my seat. It felt strange to be in a world that my father was more than familiar with that was still entirely foreign to me, not to mention more than a little dangerous.

Stefano let out a low whistle. “Marco De Luca’s daughter, huh?”

Leo nodded, his expression softening. “Your father is a good man. We’re sorry for the trouble he’s in right now.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling a mixture of pride and anxiety. “I appreciate that.”

I stood up, feeling the hem of the shirt lift slightly, and quickly tugged it down. “If you’ll excuse me, I should get dressed.”

They both nodded, still wearing those annoyingly knowing smiles.

“Of course,” Leo said. “We’ll be here if you need anything.”

I hurried out of the kitchen and made my way upstairs, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. As I entered Massimo’s master bedroom, I paused, taking a moment to steady myself. The closet door was slightly ajar, and I could see a glimpse of what lay inside.

When I opened the door the rest of the way, I saw that half of the closet was filled with my things—clothes, shoes, accessories—all neatly organized. I’m not sure how he managed it, but I hadn’t heard a thing while we were eating breakfast. His men must have come in another entrance with my belongings or something. I didn’t know how it had all taken place, but it was a relief to see all of my familiar shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, and shoes.

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