Chapter 148

I survived my first day of work. It involved lunch with Edward at our desks, but I survived! He had a group of guys calling him to the cafeteria, but he stayed and kept me company. I think it was out of pity, but I was just grateful not to eat alone.

After work, I went to my parents' house, as promised. I spend an unhealthy amount of time there anyway.

After a nagging evening of my parents grilling me about my first day, I opened the door to the best surprise ever: my brother, Alex. He'd brought a stray dog, Mia. Although I disliked her at first, she wasn't all bad. She was sweet, and Alex was different around her—a rarity, as Alex doesn't change around people. My father often says I'm a mini-me of my mother, and Alex a mini-him. Ronan, however, is the perfect blend of both.

Later that night, the three of us were chilling in my room after Mia had fallen asleep and my parents had retired. Ronan said, "You should come to one of my parties, you know."

Alex warned him, "Please keep her away from your parties. And get serious with life, you idiot. You're twenty-one now."

I blinked at Alex. "How serious? Marriage serious?"

Ronan caught on. "Should we all find a politician's child and get engaged to them?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "It's a business transaction. It doesn't mean shit."

"And the girl sleeping in your room upstairs? Does she mean anything?"

"She's a colleague's sister," Alex said, settling more comfortably on my bed. I mirrored him, and he rolled his eyes again, already seeming done after only six hours.

"What's going on with you, huh?" he asked. "New boss. New job. A new guy in your life, perhaps?"

My cheeks burned, but I answered, "No."

Alex studied me but didn't push.

I fell into a dreamless sleep after they left, the stress of another day under Luca plaguing me. However, I woke up to a surprise the next morning:

'Meeting at The Blaze at noon. No office until then. -Edward.'

That put a smile on my face. One day of work, and I'd become someone whose mood could do a complete 180 at the thought of a break.

I spent my morning with Mom and Mia, since both my brothers had gone to the office with Dad. As I was about to leave for noon, I noticed Alex's hulking bodyguard following me.

"What do you want, Dom?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Alex asked me to go with you."

I gritted my teeth. "No."

He replied annoyingly, "I don't take orders from you."

I tried a different approach. "Shouldn't you stay back and protect Mia or something? Besides, you're Alex's bodyguard, not mine."

"Yours for the day," he said, looking like he wanted to glare but didn't.

I huffed. "Fine, but you're driving."

I threw him my keys, and he effortlessly caught them, getting into the driver's seat of my custom pink BMW (a gift from my parents). If Dom got a single scratch on it, I'd kill him. I didn't care that he was nearly twice my size and Alex's right-hand man for a reason—he was a trained weapon.

While Dom drove, I sent Alex an angry text full of profanities for always getting his way, even though I'd missed him and his overprotective nature.

Dom parked at The Blaze at a quarter to noon. I took a deep breath before going in. Dom followed, and I paused.

"Where are you going?"

He sassed, "I can't exactly be your bodyguard if I'm not with you." Guess he held a grudge about me calling him a bodyguard.

"You're not coming inside," I reasoned. "My boss is inside, along with other people. I can't explain you being there!"

Dom didn't budge. Frustration welled up; I wanted to pull my hair out.

"Dom, stay here. Okay?" I barked.

"I don't take orders from you."

I stomped my foot, calling Alex, but the stubborn man disconnected my call. He could do this all day; I couldn't. I was going to be late—on my very second day.

"How about," I took a deep breath, "you come in and take a separate table?"

Dom grudgingly nodded.

I patted my hair, ensuring my braid was perfect, took a deep breath, calmed my nerves, and walked in confidently, ignoring the nearly seven-foot man behind me.

The receptionist asked for my name and ID, confirming Dom was with me.

My worst fears were confirmed: only one table was occupied, and Luca and Edward were already sitting there. Edward looked panicked; Luca's head was buried in a book.

I greeted them with a small smile, trying to sound normal. Everything was fine until Luca didn't notice Dom, who wasn't exactly subtle sitting a few tables away, his eyes boring into my back.

Luca replied without looking up, "It's afternoon, Ms. Whitlock."

"Yes, sorry," I muttered, about to sit when a man entered. He was older, maybe early sixties, with white hair, impeccably dressed in a gray suit (unlike Luca's blue suit). He was short, had a belly, used a walking stick, and was accompanied by a very attractive assistant in a pencil skirt and white blouse, carrying three files and a bottle.

"Mr. Romano," the man greeted my boss. They shook hands.

Luca replied, "Mr. Vitalio." Then the man's eyes found Edward. "Edward," he nodded, before turning to me. "And what is this? A new addition to your team?"

I was a who, not a what, you dickhead.

Luca dismissively said, "Just my assistant." A pang of something unpleasant settled in my stomach.

I offered a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Vitalio; I'm Aurora."

"Aurora," he nodded, and everyone settled down.

Cornell Vitalio sat next to me, placing me between him and Edward. His assistant sat opposite, a chair between her and Luca.

The meeting started concerning the files I'd spent the previous day studying. They were renegotiating the terms of a deal after a falling-out six months prior, and they weren't on the same page.

About thirty minutes in, Cornell leaned back, stretching, and rested a hand on the back of my chair. I leaned forward to ignore him when his fingers brushed my neck in what seemed like an accidental way. Before I could swat his hand away—and possibly accidentally knee him in his old, sagging balls—Dom's voice resonated through the room.

"Take your hand off her if you want to keep your hand."

My jaw dropped. I wanted to disappear as Luca looked up from his book for the first time, his gaze settling on Dom, then me, then Cornell, before fury filled his eyes.