He Thought I Was a Joke? I Hid the Heir to His Mafia Empire Chapter 01
I worked as a designated driver at night and accidentally accepted an order for a Rolls-Royce.
The car owner wrapped one arm around his slightly tipsy date and handed me the car key with his other hand.
I froze on the spot.
Luca Falcone.
He was my ex-boyfriend seven years ago.
Now he stood as the reigning Mafia Don of the Falcone family.
I pulled my baseball cap lower, took the key nervously, praying neither of them would recognize me.
The engine roared to life, and the partition between the front and back seats slid shut slowly.
The air inside reeked of cigar smoke, whiskey and women’s perfume. I held my breath gently.
Before long, Elena’s sultry moans drifted from the backseat.
Luca spoke in an indulgent tone. “Can’t handle it already?”
Elena whined coquettishly. “Stop it. We don’t have condoms in the car.”
“So what?”
“What if I end up pregnant?”
Luca paused for a moment. “Then we’ll have the baby.”
A sharp twinge of pain stabbed my heart.
He had said the exact same words to me seven years ago.
That was how we ended up with a six-year-old daughter, a secret he knew nothing about.
Though the partition was closed, it barely blocked any sound.
Every faint noise pricked my eardrums like countless tiny needles.
Veins bulged on the back of my hands gripping the steering wheel, yet I kept my foot steady on the gas pedal without the slightest tremble.
Right now, I was Driver No.09, not Vera Moretti, never the woman who once nearly became a mafia matriarch.
I could not afford any complaints, not when my daughter Estelle needed urgent medical care.
“Luca, slow down…” Elena’s voice dripped with sickening sweetness.
“Don’t you like it?” Luca’s voice sank low and husky, carrying the predatory hunger I knew all too well.
Yet that hunger now belonged to another woman.
“Ugh… Hey Luca, that driver up front looks like a woman.”
Elena abruptly changed the subject. I could feel two pairs of eyes burning into my back through the rearview mirror.
“Hmm.” Luca replied indifferently.
“Working this late just driving cars, she must be dirt poor. Poor thing. I’m lucky to have you spoiling me rotten.” Elena giggled, her tone laced with blatant superiority.
“Focus.” Luca sounded faintly impatient, consumed by desire.
The noises from the back died down, followed by the crisp click of a lighter.
Tobacco smoke seeped through the gaps.
“Roll down the window.” Luca ordered coldly.
I pressed the window button mechanically.
Chilly November wind rushed inside, sweeping away the steamy atmosphere and stinging my eyes.
“Brr, it’s freezing!” Elena yelped. “Why crank it down so far? Are you trying to freeze me?”
I rolled the window halfway up at once.
“My apologies.” I lowered my voice, altering my tone deliberately.
“Anyone can drive a Rolls-Royce these days? Your skills are terrible, the car jolted and made me dizzy.” Elena complained, snuggling deeper into Luca’s embrace.
“Luca, my head hurts, I feel nauseous.”
“Hold it in.” Luca’s tone gave nothing away.
“Pull over up ahead, I want to buy some water.” Elena pleaded sweetly.
“Ma’am, parking here violates traffic rules and will incur fines.” I explained.
“Fines don’t matter. I’ll pay whatever it costs. Luca, look at her attitude!” Elena threw a petty tantrum.
“Do as she says.” Luca uttered three cold words.
Gritting my teeth, I flipped on the right turn signal and pulled over onto the emergency lane.
The car barely stopped when Elena lost her thirst all of a sudden.
“Never mind, I don’t want water anymore. Let’s go.”
I stared blankly for a second before restarting the vehicle.
“Wait.” Elena rolled down her window and tossed her half-empty Evian bottle outside. “This water went stale. Get out and throw this away.”
Rain poured outside, and muddy ground lay beyond the lane.
I stared at her refined yet malicious face in the rearview mirror and stayed seated.
“What? Too dirty for you? Will a hundred dollars change your mind?”
Elena pulled a banknote from her bag and held it out through the partition gap between two fingers.
Luca stayed silent, watching me coldly through the mirror.
I drew a deep breath and pushed open the car door.
Rain soaked my clothes instantly.
I picked up the empty bottle, tossed it into a distant trash can, then hurried back to the car.
Shivering violently from the drastic temperature shift inside the warm vehicle, my whole body went cold.
“You’re so slow.” Elena frowned in disgust. “Turn up the heater. Don’t let your cold dampness rub off on me.”
I raised the temperature silently and drove on.
“Luca, doesn’t she look like a drowned stray dog?” Elena nestled in his arms and laughed loudly.
Luca did not laugh. He spoke flatly, “Not really.”
My heart eased slightly, until he finished his sentence.
“Dogs are more obedient than her.”
