Page 2 of The Don's Proposal

I look for all the exits in the room. To my surprise, there isn’t a guard with a gun at every door. With the reputation of the Bertelli family, I expected a bit more protection. Then again, I don’t know what is on the other side of each closed door.

A door leads to the front of the home, promising a swift escape if I decide I want to leave empty-handed, and accept being a failure in my brother’s eyes. He’s called me worse. Though, I think he may truly abandon me if I mess this up.

Focus, Camellia.

A large grand staircase is further out, with a few partygoers sitting on the steps while enjoying each other’s company. I sure hope my destination isn’t up there. The heels I am wearing wouldn’t make it to the top.

Two open hallways divot from the stairs, leading deeper into the home. Darkness swallows up each one, promising the unknown. I am sure it’s helping keep any guests from wandering off, and it’s working. My heart is sinking into my stomach from thinking about going down one of them.

No other doors are within my sight.

Okay. I’m either going to do this, or I’m not. With little choice in the matter, I throw back my drink, and hope it’ll give me the confidence I need.

Abandoning the flute on a nearby table next to a worn potted plant, I head toward the staircase. With only one shot and three different paths to take, the chance of finding all the Bertelli secrets are slim without getting caught trying to go a second round.

Luck typically isn’t on my side, but I have no choice but to put all of my faith in it. Between the three, I pick the right hallway. Glancing over my shoulder, I look around to see if I’ve caught any unwanted attention.

Everyone here is so deeply engrossed in their own lives that I doubt a random woman could ever shift their focus.

Seemingly in the clear, I move. Heading toward the unknown, the darkness swallows me up. The music fades with each step, and I reach out to use the wall to guide me. Fingertips gliding against the surface, I graze against door knobs. It’s a hall full of them.

No surprise there. This is a mansion, after all. I can only hope that these rooms aren’t occupied.

Before I try to turn any handle, I stop for five seconds and hold my breath while waiting for any signs of life. The handles that aren’t locked, I slowly turn each knob and peek in.

It’s almost laughable how many bathrooms I find. At least I have an excuse for why I’m here. Though, the deeper I roam, the less the lie will be believable.

Up ahead, there is a glow of light slipping past a set of double doors. Carefully approaching, I hear what sounds like the clash of metal pans. A kitchen, possibly? I don’t dare peek in, even if my curiosities want to get the best of me.

There’s no surprise if Santino Bertelli has hired help in his home. His own personal chef, or an entire team, for all I know. There are many men here who need to be taken care of.

Rocco pays these sweet older women to cook meals for our family. Gaile is generous enough to sneak me a dessert whenever they have extra. She’s got the biggest backbone, second compared to my sister. She’ll click her tongue before huffing and puffing if he tries to stop her.

Moving on, I continue trying every door I can. Only once at the sudden approach of steps do I have to frantically slip inside another bathroom. Therearea couple of guards. My guess is that most are outside patrolling. Maybe my luck is turning around.

Even more so when I open another room to finally find what I am looking for. Or what I hope to be.

Rocco said to look for an office, and I’ve never seen one without a desk. The moonlight seeping in from the large windows reveals more than just the outline of the desk.

If the office reflects the owner, I’m certain this is Santino’s workplace. All dark and pristine. This is where I need to be. Entering quietly, I close the door behind me. Navigating through the shadows, I make my way to the windows and steal a glance at the view.

The sky stretches above me, a vast canvas of deep indigo, unblemished by clouds and free from the glow of city lights. Countless stars twinkle like scattered diamonds, their brilliance palpable in the quiet desolation of this remote place. While this view might seem ordinary to some, to me, it’s nothing short of magical; it leaves me breathless, a reminder of the beauty that exists in solitude.

It’s such a pity that I have to untie the curtain’s knots and close them. I wish I didn’t have to obscure something so beautiful just to turn on the lamp on the desk.

As the room fills with light, I don’t waste any time standing around. Pushing the leather seat out of my way, the wheels guild it a few feet away. Opening drawers, I dig out anything I can find. There are so many papers.

Most of them land on the desk, immediately growing disorganized. Some catch the slightest gust of air and fall behind me.

It doesn’t matter if I leave evidence as long as they don’t know who came inside here. That, or my brother wants him to know he’s got the upper hand. I don’t know.

Rocco wants pictures of everything that looks important. He didn’t have the patience to sit me down and explain what could be what. Instead, he urged me to get whatever I can.

Pulling my phone out of my bra, my fingers tremble as I try to open up my camera app. Much to my dismay, the device slips from my grasp and hits a cup of pens. The thump is even louder when the pens scatter across the wood.

“Shoot.” Blowing out a rapid breath, I try to grab the cup before it hits the ground. It rolls off and disappears with a soft thump. “Shoot.”

Now is not the time to panic. Yet, it’s exactly what is happening.

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