The Mafia Boss Asked Whether Someone Had Hurt His Plus-Size Secretary and Her Silence Made an Entire Boardroom Afraid to Breathe

Two days later, the corporate scandal had been buried beneath an avalanche of legal filings, federal indictments, and swift internal restructuring. Grant Holloway was behind bars awaiting trial; Arthur Vance had fled the state under the terms of his permanent restraining order; and the Q3 acquisition had been successfully renegotiated on terms favorable to Vale Meridian Holdings.

The thirty-ninth-floor executive office was bathed in the soft, golden light of a late October afternoon.

Mara stood behind her desk, reviewing the updated travel manifests for the upcoming London summit.

The heavy oak door opened.

Luca walked in, carrying two cups of black coffee. He set one down on her desk, leaning against the edge with a relaxed, easy confidence she had never seen in him before.

“The board approved the restructuring package unanimously this morning,” Luca said. “And your new title—Chief Operating Director of Corporate Governance—comes with a thirty percent salary increase and an office with a much better view.”

Mara looked up from her screen, raising an eyebrow. “Chief Operating Director? That sounds suspiciously like a title designed to keep me from ever bringing you coffee again.”

“I can get my own coffee,” Luca smiled softly, reaching across the desk to brush a strand of dark hair from her face. “What I can’t do is run this company—or my life—without you.”

Mara’s heart skipped a beat. She placed her pen down and stood up, closing the small distance between them.

“You know what the city still says about you, don't you?” she asked quietly, a playful glint in her dark eyes. “They say Luca Vale is a reclusive monster who rules Chicago from the shadows.”

Luca wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close against him, resting his forehead gently against hers.