THE MAFIA'S RUINATION
The Mafia's Ruination - Episode 23
Subtitle; {Between Love and War}
Authoress Rejoice
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Alexander's POV
Alice being in my office was nothing short of torturous. It was excruciatingly painful to have her presence here, her green eyes locked on me, yet I couldn't do anything about it.
She had stopped me from kissing her earlier, a move that would have undoubtedly escalated into something more intimate. I was consumed with desire, craving to be on this sofa with her, both of us moà ning passionately. But I had to control myself.
Her unwavering gaze remained on me for an extended period as I reviewed and signed files using an E-signature. Her gentle voice broke the silence. Filled with unspoken questions, she asked, "Alex?"
"Hmm?" I responded.
She wasted no time in voicing her question. "Why do you call me Kitten?"
My fingers momentarily paused on the laptop's keys upon hearing that unexpected question. Why did I call her Kitten? It had simply come naturally, along with other endearing names I had taken to calling her.
I contemplated various responses to her inquiry, unsure of how to answer her. What could I possibly tell her?
After a moment, the words arranged themselves, forming an answer. "When I first saw you, you were shivering like a cold cat."
"Ah, I see," she nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "Alright."
With that, she swiveled around in my chair, a childlike delight on her face. She seemed to find joy in the simplest things, something I wished I could experience. I yearned for her purity, her innocence, her carefree spirit.
After a brief spinning session, her attention shifted to the screen of my work laptop on my desk. She moved closer to examine something on it. I couldn't fathom what was so captivating about the screen, but I couldn't afford any damage to the device.
"Be a good girl and leave that," I said, somewhat absentmindedly, before realizing what I had said. I had referred to her as a good girl, when in reality, she was anything but. She was a tempting force, challenging my self-control. I avoided her gaze, pretending to be engrossed in my work.
"When are we going home?" Alice inquired, rising from the chair. "I'm bored to death, Xander."
Could I ever grow accustomed to her abbreviating my name? I was still getting used to "Alex," and now she was using "Xander."
Did she want to test the limits of my self-control? I was determined to hold back until she gave in. She would have to make the first move. Though, I couldn't resist teasing her along the way, pushing her patience to the brink as I fought to maintain my own.
"Almost done," I assured her.
She took a seat beside me. "Can I ask you a question?"
I looked at her, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Hmm, go ahead."
"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?" she asked, an unexpected question that caught me off guard.
I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. "I don't know," I replied.
"What?" She sounded genuinely surprised. "When was the last time you had ice cream?"
"I've only had ice cream a handful of times in my childhood; I've forgotten," I explained.
A radiant smile lit up her face as she rested her hand on my shoulder. "Today, we're going to have ice cream until we get diabetes."
"I'm not doing that," I initially protested.
My father had once told me that ice cream made people weak and fragile, easy to defeat because they were sugar-coated. He had forbiddén me from indulging in it to toughen me up.
Now, I realized how foolÃsh that notion had been. I had spent my life believing everything my father said, hoping for his love like Madison and Addison had, but it had never come. At twenty-seven, I was contemplating rebellÃng against my father for the first time.
"On second thought, I'm in," I decided. "Let's go."
"Yay!" Alice cheered, displaying a childlike enthusiasm as she jumped up.
After shutting down the laptops, I watched as Alice picked up my suit jacket and put it on. "It's so big," she remarked, spinning around. "I look like a child."
"Who says you aren't?" I teased, prompting her to gasp and lightly hit my shoulder. "You're such a little girl."
"You're such a big meanie," she playfully pouted.
Everything she did only enhanced her charm. She was adorable, especially when she puckered her lips like that. It made me want to tease her even more.
"Aww, such a big compliment coming from someone so small," I continued to tease.
"Stop that. I'm a big girl."
"No, you're not."
"Let's go."
She smiled, and we walked out of my office. With the lunchbox in my hand and Alice wearing my suit, we made our way to the parking lot.
I spotted one of my cars, which I assumed was the one Alice had driven here. "That's the car you drove here," she confirmed.
"I noticed," I replied before approaching the vehicle.
All my cars were tinted, making it impossible to see inside. I knocked on the window, and it took less than a minute for the car to unlock and open.
"Good afternoon, Boss," greeted the guard whose name I couldn't recall, bowing his head respectfully.
"Take this," I handed him the lunchbox. "Drive back yourself, I'll ride with her."
"Okay, Boss," he responded with another bow, attempting to get into the car. However, Alice stopped him.
"Hey, sorry about the long wait. I hope you're not mad at me," she apologized.
"Of course not, Ms. Alice. I'm just doing my job," he assured her. "I'll be on my way now."
With another respectful bow, he entered the car and drove away. I couldn't help but despise the bowing gesture; it made me feel superior, a feeling I didn't want. My father had employed every single person in his clan before he got sick, and the first rule was to bow to your master.
"We're going to have an ice cream party," Alice's voice pulled me out of those dark memories, thankfully. If I had a wish, it would be for Alice to be in my life forever.
TBC 📖✍️
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