Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Genevieve was utterly drained. The first day had stretched endlessly before her, and now, as the clock approached seven in the evening, only a handful of people remained in the office: herself, Kaitlin, Alexander, and a group gathered with Matteo in the conference room. After a thorough and detailed tour led by Kaitlin, Gen had managed to secure her ID badge, keycard, and a garage pass from HR—though she chose not to mention that the CEO had already arranged all of it for her. Throughout the day, she had crossed paths with several of her colleagues down the hall, except for the PR woman, who seemed to be present at every meeting in the conference room.

A strange, prickling jealousy gnawed at her stomach as she observed the steady stream of employees leaving the building, yet Matteo and the PR woman remained locked in the conference room. She shook her head firmly, trying to dismiss the feeling. “It doesn’t matter,” she told herself silently. “You have a job to do. Focus.” But the mantra grew tiresome after being repeated endlessly in her mind. She sighed, weary of the mental battle.

Gen carefully placed a framed photo of herself and her roommates beside a wedding picture and another frame holding a photo of her mother and father. She continued rummaging through the box, lost in thought, when a knock at the door startled her. She jumped up and turned quickly, relief flooding her when it wasn’t Matteo but Kaitlin standing there instead. Kaitlin’s cheeks were flushed, and a shy smile played on her lips as she stepped inside. Gen soon understood why when a man she did not recognize followed closely behind her.

Over the past few weeks, Gen had unwittingly encountered many men connected to the mafia. She had learned to spot certain telltale signs: tattoos crawling across their skin, dark clothing, stern, unyielding expressions, and the constant darting of their eyes, as if expecting a crazed gunman to emerge from a nearby sewer grate. This man, however, was unlike any she had met before. He was tall—around six feet—with striking reddish-blond hair and deep brown eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. His navy suit was impeccably tailored, accentuating the copper tones in his hair. He was clean-shaven, wore a watch that could easily cost half a million dollars, and sported a diamond earring that likely matched the watch in value.

“This gentleman requested to speak with you,” Kaitlin said, her voice soft and breathy.

Gen extended her hand cautiously. “Hello, I’m Genevieve. And you are?”