Stuck in a Mafia Romance

No One’s POV

"Is Lord Dante coming anytime soon?" Alina’s sweet voice echoed across the quiet room as she shifted on the couch.

Both Lily and Lucian turned their heads at the exact same time, shooting her a dark glare that instantly made her bite her tongue and shut her mouth.

Lucian stood up from behind his desk, adjusting his cuffs before looking across at Lily. "If you do not have anything else to ask this girl, I will go look for them myself. They have been gone for far too long just to change a simple shirt."

"I will follow you," Lily said simply, stepping into line right behind him.

Alina glared silently from the couch as she noticed both of them completely ignoring her existence. Unwilling to be left behind, she scrambled to her feet and rushed over, placing herself right beside Lucian as they walked toward the hallway.

"Um, Lord Lucian... please do not be too mad at Miss Viella," Alina murmured in a soft, gentle tone, trying her best to look sweet. "She was just clumsy, and I am sure she did not mean to cause such a mess on Lord Dante’s clothing..."

"It is Lady Viella," Lily cut her off flatly, her calm voice slicing straight through Alina’s speech.

Before Lucian could even move away from the annoying girl, Lily took a smooth step forward, placing her own slender frame right between Lucian and Alina to block her path.

Lily leaned down slightly toward Alina’s ear, her tone dropping into a low whisper that only the two of them could hear. "It will be much better for you if you stick to just one target. Trying to step into two boats at the exact same time will only get you drowned in the water."

Alina’s eyes trembled with a sudden wave of shock. Did this woman actually notice my act? she thought nervously, her heart skipping a beat. But within a second, she forced a sweet, innocent smile back onto her face.

"Oh, I really have no idea what you mean by that, but I will certainly keep your advice in mind, Miss Lily," Alina replied smoothly, pretending not to understand a single word.

Listening to Lily put the girl in her place so easily, the corners of Lucian’s lips curved upward into a small smile without him even realizing it. As Lily stood so close to him, that familiar, soft scent drifted into his nostrils once again. He found himself pausing in his tracks, staring down at the back of her head. He had been running away from that very scent for five long years because every time it brushed past him, it stirred up strange, deep emotions inside his chest- emotions he could neither control nor name.

As Lucian remained lost in his deep thoughts, Lily turned around and looked up at his face. "Aren’t we going, Young Master?"

Lucian snapped out of his trance, clearing his throat quickly. "Right. Let’s go."

Without another word, they walked out of the room together, leaving Alina standing alone in the room.

The moment they vanished around the corner, the sweet look on Alina’s face completely shattered into rage. She pulled out her private phone with trembling fingers and quickly typed a message to her secret backer.

Alina: Can’t we just finish off this annoying maid right now? She is getting in my way!

Her phone buzzed almost instantly with a reply.

Elias: Not yet. I haven’t even started playing with her yet. Do not touch a single hair on her head until I tell you to.

Seeing the cold reply, Alina chewed on her lower lip out of pure anger, clutching her phone tightly before turning on her heel and stomping away in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, after checking the main floor,

Lucian and Lily decided to take different routes through the massive corporate building to search for Viella and Dante more quickly.

Lily walked down a quiet, lesser-known hallway near the VIP resting lounges. As her dark eyes scanned the corridor, she noticed a large double door right at the very end. It was the only door on the entire floor that was firmly locked from the outside using a metallic latch.

Moving with quiet steps, Lily approached the door and slid the lock open.

The moment the door swung wide, Viella came sprinting out of the room, breathing a massive sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness! Thank you so much, Lily!" she muttered quickly, brushing off her skirt and hurrying down the hall to escape.

Right behind her, Dante Moretti casually walked out of the room. His face was completely calm, devoid of any annoyance, and he wore a fresh suit over his shoulders.

As he was about to walk right past Lily without a word, she spoke up softly, her voice halting his steps.

"You do not actually hate my lady, do you?"

Dante stopped right in his tracks. He turned his head slowly, looking down at the quiet maid standing beside the doorway. "And what exactly gives you that idea?"

"Everything," Lily said, her dark eyes looking straight into his. "Lord Dante intentionally letting someone lock the door from the outside does not seem right to me. Someone with your level of security and awareness would never get trapped in a room by accident unless you wanted to be there."

Dante raised his dark eyebrows slightly. This maid standing in front of him was far smarter and more observant than he had initially assumed.

A small, genuine chuckle escaped his lips, breaking his cold demeanor. "You are quite the clever servant, aren’t you, Lily? But telling your master’s business out loud in an open hallway is a very dangerous habit."

"I am only loyal to my lady," Lily replied smoothly, standing her ground without flinching. "And if you are using her as a shield or a piece in your corporate games, I will not stand by quietly, Lord Dante."

Dante stepped a little closer, a dangerous, competitive glint appearing in his dark eyes. "Is that a threat, little maid? Do you truly believe you can stop me from playing my cards?"

"It is not a threat, it is a statement," Lily met his gaze with absolute calmness. "You may rule the business world, but when it comes to keeping my lady safe, you will find that I am a very stubborn obstacle in your path."

Dante chuckled once more, tilting his head slightly. "I do admire confidence, but do not forget your place. Playing a rival against me requires much more than just quick eyes and a sharp tongue."

"Then let us see whose hand plays out better in the end, Lord Dante," Lily answered politely, bowing her head just an inch.

Dante looked at her for a long second, thoroughly entertained by her bold spirit, before turning away. "We shall see, Lily. We shall see."

Meanwhile, Lucian had been searching through the quiet corridors for any sign of Viella and Dante. As he turned a corner near the VIP lounges, he suddenly stumbled upon the exact scene.

He stopped in his tracks, staying hidden behind a large pillar. He could not hear the exact words being exchanged between Dante and Lily, but as he watched them stand so close together, a deep, visible frown settled onto his face.

Dante was not the kind of man who casually engaged in warm conversation with simple servants. But then Lucian thought about Alina

that annoying, fake maid whom Dante kept allowing around his personal space lately. Was Dante actually interested in Lily as well?

Lucian clutched his hands into tight fists inside his pockets. He did not know why, but the mere thought of Dante taking an interest in Lily made a sudden irritation flare up inside his chest.

This girl was troublesome- he had known that from the very first day he met her years ago.

During the last five years while she was gone, his life had been peaceful, predictable, and completely comfortable. Yet, the exact moment she returned into his world, he felt constantly restless, easily distracted, and utterly out of control.

What in the world is she doing to me? Lucian muttered bitterly under his breath, his dark eyes lingering on Lily’s quiet profile for one last second before he turned on his shoe and walked away.

Meanwhile, back in the hallway, Lily stared at Dante’s tall figure as he walked away down the corridor.

She replayed his earlier words carefully inside her mind: "Telling your master’s business out loud in an open hallway is a very dangerous habit."

Those words were not a casual warning at all.

They were an intentional hint dropped right in front of her.

Lily’s dark eyes glinted with a dangerous intelligence. Dante was playing a much bigger game than just corporate rivalry, and he was intentionally leaving breadcrumbs for her to follow.

Whatever secret was hidden between Lucian, Dante, and that girl Alina, tonight was the night she was going to uncover the full truth once and for all.

Finally, the dark night fell over the city. Lily stood quietly in the shadowed trees right across from Dante’s massive, private mansion. She looked down at the bright screen of her phone, confirming the exact street address sent by her secret client.

She was here to complete her underworld contract and kill Alina Grace.

For this late-night job, she wore her signature assassin clothing- a fitted dark outfit that allowed her to move through the shadows.

As her dark eyes scanned the perimeter of the huge property, something instantly caught her attention. The mansion, which was usually heavily guarded by dozens of armed men, was strangely quiet tonight. There were far fewer guards patrolling the main gates, almost as if someone was deliberately waiting and expecting her visit.

It seemed like this entire one-million-dollar hit was nothing more than a setup to draw her out into the open. Lily’s brows furrowed in pure irritation. She was not a fool to fall for such an obvious trick. She slowly stepped backward, turning on her heel to vanish into the darkness and leave the area.

Ding.

The soft chime of her phone cut through the quiet night air. Lily looked down at the dark screen in surprise. A official notification popped up- the full one million dollars had just been transferred directly into her private bank account.

Just then, slow, steady footsteps echoed on the gravel path right behind her.

"Now you know it was not a trap, but an actual business deal," a cool, smooth voice spoke up from the shadows.

Lily turned around with complete composure and came face to face with no one else but Dante Moretti himself.

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TO BE CONTINUED