Chapter 18

"The boss hasn't left the hotel yet," Cassandra's eyes widened when she heard the news over the phone.

"He's here now?"

The leader of the biggest mafia chain in the country didn't normally spend so much time at the hotel. Was it because most operations were down for the next month?

"When is he scheduled to leave?"

She had to find out before Tim returned.

The man was too nosy for his own good and had messed up most of Cassandra's good chances up until then. She didn't have much time.

"He was. Something delayed him. He's at the grand parlour reserved for VIPs only."

Cassandra bit her lip.

The trio was due to get orders from Bruce for the day.

He was to assign jobs for Frank, Tim, and Cassandra but he wasn't down yet from Ms. Kane's office and would take at least ten minutes.

Should Cassandra take the risk and run down to the parlour for a glimpse of the man or to give his eyes a taste of what she had on and what her body looked like in the day's outfit?

The sexy redhead surveyed her appearance on the reflection on one of the elevator's polished doors. She was stunning. There was no way a man with a beating pulse could turn away from her that day.

She gritted her teeth.

The mafia was not a place for messing around.

Cassandra had broken a deadline before, and Bruce had chewed her out.

He had been two seconds of rage closer to kicking her straight out of the organization.

Cassandra knew that he didn't take lightly to her roaming around without having any authorization from him to do so, especially anywhere near the boss.

She needed access and permission granted to even stick around Ms. Kane or Ms. Kane's personal pet dog.

Cassandra realized that the moment she was found roaming around near the boss for no reason, there were even chances of them doubting if she was some kind of double agent and promptly having her executed as quietly as possible.

She shuddered.

She remembered an agent Rhyse who'd come under that suspicion.

No one had ever seen him again.

There was more contemplation before Cassandra pushed the button of the elevator on an impulse.

Who knew how long Bruce would take to get down here.

She could say she'd gone to the ladies' room or gotten lost somewhere.

He would not be impressed but she could try.

Charming the boss somehow was her first priority and she only had one month.

She couldn't lose opportunities.

--

Leah sat under the shade of the large umbrella overhead.

She had an iced tea in her hand that her lips sipped from.

She wondered when she'd last relaxed this way with not a care in the world.

Talking to her cousins about Tim had been the best decision of the day next to the one she'd taken about taking a shower and not just lying back in bed to cry her tired eyes out.

There were dark circles around her puffy eyes from the night before and Leah knew she looked like a disaster.

She wondered if the handsome stranger from that morning had seen her.

She blushed.

Why was she thinking of that man?

Sure, he was stunning and had been strong and gentle with her when she'd tripped.

But she was too old for crushes on men she barely knew, wasn't she?

Even if they looked like they'd just stepped out off a Model's Magazine with those clothes, that tan; had he been wearing diamonds somewhere on his person?

He had seemed powerful too- somehow like a mafia-

"Leah!"

Leah jerked.

She looked over to see her cousins look very concerned.

"I th- we thought you were feeling better?" Rayne managed with a sad smile, "You, okay? We can take you home now if you like."

Leah shook her head no quickly, "I'm totally fine! I didn't realise how much I needed to hear you guys rip him apart with your words."

There was a moment of silence before the three burst out laughing.

"We can do that everyday if you like, Lee!" Sasha yelled with glee.

"He's given us soooo much material, it's almost too easy," Rayne was roaring.

Leah laughed, "You know what I meant. I guess it's been a while since we really talked."

Rayne sobered, "It has. And from now on, we're never letting it happen again!"

Sasha raised her milkshake, "To always ripping Tim to shreds."

She winked.

"To always ripping Tim to shreds!" The other two laughed and clinked drinks.

"Now," Rayne said finally, "Shall we begin this event at last, ladies?"

Leah giggled as she set her Iced Tea down, "Yes please! I'm all excited again!"

"Aw, Lee, that's great!" Sasha gushed, "Take it away, Rayne!"

"Okay," Rayne cleared his throat, "For this event, we have two goals: Impress Ms. Kane's socks off. Two: Manage all of the sub-deadlines that are Mr. Slader's inspections."

Both the girls nodded vigorously.

"We'll get to that at the execution level," Rayne eyes twinkled, "For now, we start one of Sash's favourite parts."

Sasha squealed and took a long sip of her milkshake.

"The planning!"

Leah laughed and really felt her cheeks flush with excitement.

It had been so so long since she'd felt so truly happy.

Why had she ignored all of this and prioritized it under Tim?

She had known their relationship wasn't as great as it should be.

Why had she put Tim above this? Above her work and her bond with her cousins that had brought her so much joy all her life.

As Rayne circled something on his notepad for the girls to see, Leah knew she had to swear to herself that she would never commit this mistake again.

She would place no other man above her work or her cousins ever again.

Memories of that morning swirled in her mind and pulled her out of her resolution.

Leah resisted.

She had never resisted before and that was why weak men like Tim had had such a power over her with their half-hearted gifts and words.

Never again would she be swayed by a man so easily.

She would have high, high standards for them. She would raise the walls over her heart.

Leah hesitated.

Even though she knew she would probably never see the stranger from that morning again, somewhere in her being, she hoped he would and she hoped he would reach all her standards and jump over her walls to reach her.