Chapter 12: Chapter 12

From his vantage point in the living room, Mason caught sight of Elnora in the dining area, clad in a sleek, blue jogger set that somehow managed to look both casual and glamorous. Within just two hours, she and Kristine had become fast friends, whispering and laughing over something he couldn’t hear. The sight of them together, so at ease, sent a ripple of irritation through him. His fingers curled into a fist as he watched, a tension building in his chest that had nothing to do with business and everything to do with the woman at the centre of it all.

It was unsettling to admit, but Mason Dimitri, the mastermind of the Castelli empire, might have met his match.

“Boss, we got word that Akim wants a meeting with the five families.” Benny’s voice cut through his thoughts like a cold blade, jolting him back to the present. Mason hadn’t even noticed Benny enter the room—a clear sign that Elnora had more of his attention than she should.

Mason adjusted on the couch, turning to face Benny. The Russian? Now? His mind raced, trying to piece together why Akim would suddenly demand a meeting. Urgency was implied whenever Akim made a move. And then there was the matter of Elnora—why had Akim bid on her last night? What connection did he have to the elusive hacker known as the Priest?

“Have Antonio check it out,” Mason ordered, dismissing Benny with a wave. As Benny exited, Mason’s gaze drifted back to the dining area, where he found Elnora watching him with those piercing hazel eyes, her lips curling into a lopsided grin that made his pulse quicken.

Mason groaned inwardly. He adjusted his Tux as he stood, debating whether to retreat to the west wing and lose himself in the latest investment design, but something held him back. He couldn’t leave the main house. Not now. Not when she was here, pulling him in with her every move. If the Priest had his sights set on Elnora, then she was far more than she appeared—possibly a rival, or even an equal, in their dark world of secrets and manipulation. She, like him, was a god in her craft, and he needed to see her in action, to observe the power she wielded.

“Come on, Elnora,” Kristine called, standing up with a loud huff.

“Not so fast. We’re not leaving these here.” Elnora gestured to the take-out boxes strewn across the dining table as she rose. Her tone was firm, almost commanding, and when Kristine scoffed, Elnora met her with a stern gaze that stopped the fixer in her tracks.

Kristine—his fixer, the woman who had dealt with the dirtiest of politicians and the most ruthless of power players—folded her arms across her chest, a small act of defiance that Mason knew wouldn’t last long. Kristine was formidable, beautiful, and dangerous in her own right, but Elnora was proving to be something else entirely. The look in Elnora’s eyes, the way she subdued Kristine with a mere glance, only fuelled Mason’s interest, spurring him on in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

“There are helpers for that,” Kristine finally replied, her irritation barely masked.

“Regardless, there’s such a thing as etiquette. Let’s get this cleaned up quickly. Hustle,” Elnora shot back, her tone leaving no room for argument. Without waiting, she began packing up what she could, her movements quick and efficient, before motioning for Kristine to follow her lead as she dashed into the kitchen.

Kristine paused, shooting a glance at Mason, who stood with his hands tucked casually into his pockets, watching the exchange with a hint of amusement.

“You heard the woman, hustle,” Mason echoed, his voice calm but with an edge that suggested he was as entertained as he was intrigued. Elnora’s insistence on maintaining decorum was something he appreciated, aligning neatly with his own obsessive attention to detail and propriety.

Kristine, after a moment’s hesitation, began to gather the remains from the table, a small scowl creasing her otherwise composed features. Mason turned away, climbing the stairs to his room with a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. Elnora’s presence was proving to be far more interesting than he had anticipated. Her study and the hallway leading to her bedroom were now outfitted with a surveillance system he’d had installed only hours before. He was eager to observe her in her element, to see how she moved, how she operated when she thought no one was watching.

As he entered his room, Mason shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the hook behind the door with practiced precision. He shifted his rifle from its holster, placing it in the top drawer of the desk in his living area, then turned his attention to the monitors displaying the feed from the newly installed cameras. The screens flickered to life, showing Elnora and Kristine returning to the study, their conversation light as they discussed the meal.

The desk and reclining chair had been set up according to Elnora’s specifications, facing the window just as she’d requested. Mason watched, a slight frown creasing his brow as he realized how woefully inadequate he had been as a host. He wasn’t accustomed to looking after anyone but himself, and the concept of providing dinner and breakfast for someone else felt alien to him. It was a stark departure from his usual solitary existence, one that required a level of consideration he wasn’t used to giving.

A knock at the door broke his thoughts. Mason stared at the door for a moment, knowing full well who it was—no one else would dare to disturb him without a summons. A quick glance at the screen confirmed it: Elnora was no longer in her study. He crossed the room swiftly, pulling the door open.

“Smooth, aren’t you?” Elnora accused, her eyebrows raised in playful accusation, a mischievous smile curving her lips.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” Mason replied, his tone deceptively innocent as he stepped aside to let her in.

Elnora entered the room, her gaze sweeping over the space before landing on the monitors displaying the live feed from the surveillance cameras. Mason sighed, understanding immediately what she was getting at.

“You’re spying on me,” she stated, crossing her arms as she turned to face him.

“Taking care of you is my top priority,” Mason countered smoothly. “You’re my most valuable asset.”

Elnora moved closer to the monitors, examining the feed on both desktops before turning back to him with a raised eyebrow. “That’s quite PG. I assumed you’d put one in my shower as well.”

Mason laughed, a low, genuine sound that reverberated through the room. “El, what do you take me for?”

“An entitled mafia prick and control freak with trust issues,” she shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm.

His smile faltered, but the amusement never left his eyes. “Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a casual shrug. “You forgot egotist.”

Elnora met his gaze with a heated look before shaking her head in exasperation. “Well, I’m off to mount my monitors and Alienware.” She glanced briefly at his shoulder holster, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of the gun. There was a guardedness in her stare that Mason didn’t miss.

“Your cage will be here shortly,” he said, smoothly diverting the conversation away from his weapons. It was clear they unsettled her, and he wondered why. If pushed, Mason was certain she could handle a firearm with precision, but something about the holster had triggered her unease.

Elnora nodded curtly and stepped out of his bedroom, leaving Mason alone to ponder. He realized he had no clue how she had figured out he had cameras installed. Giorgio had assured him the devices were undetectable, yet Elnora had found them with ease.

Settling into his chair, Mason leaned forward against his desk, muttering to himself, “That damn geek.” But even as he cursed, he had to give Giorgio credit; the video and audio quality were impeccable—crystal clear, even.

Down the hall, he could hear Kristine directing the two men she’d summoned to Elnora’s study. “Help her move that,” she instructed, her tone brisk. Mason chuckled to himself as he reminisced her short visit to call him out. Elnora had guts; there was no denying that.

“Don’t touch anything! Just stand in the corner. Kris, you’re interfering with my flow,” Elnora snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose as she took a steadying breath. “Stand in the hall. I’ll ask for assistance if I need it.”

Kristine snapped her fingers, and the men instantly obeyed, retreating to the hallway. “Bossy much?” Kristine remarked, stroking her sideburns with a sly grin. Elnora shot her a withering glare.

“Keep talking, and you’ll be joining them in the hall,” Elnora retorted.

“Ooh, kitty can scratch,” Kristine teased, her grin widening. “But you didn’t answer me, Elnora,” she continued, watching as Elnora carefully sliced open a box with a pocket knife. “How did you get that dress torn?”

Elnora paused, staring up directly into the camera, her eyes locking with Mason’s through the lens. His pulse quickened; she knew exactly where the cameras were and that he was watching her every move.

Turning back to Kristine, Elnora asked coolly, “How do you think?”

Kristine shrugged nonchalantly. “Hot night with the boss.”

“And why do you care?” Elnora’s voice was icy as she placed the knife atop another box and began to pull out a wide, curved monitor—the biggest Mason had ever seen. She set it down on the left side of the desk and rummaged through the box again.

“I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, especially the boss’s. So, are you his woman or not?” Kristine pressed. “Even though M doesn’t keep them around long.” Her voice dropped to a near-whisper, but Mason caught the words clearly.

Leaning back in his chair, Mason watched with a faint smile playing on his lips. Elnora was cautious with her words, while Kristine was more open. It didn’t matter much to him what Kristine thought, though.

“Well, it’s just business with me and Mason,” Elnora replied, her tone guarded.

“Is that how you sealed the deal? One night of savage sex?”

Elnora laughed, the sound light but edged with steel. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Kris, what kind of lady do you think I am? I never kiss and tell.” She fetched several cables, a keyboard, and a mouse from the box, laying them out neatly on the desk.

Kristine, unfazed, leaned closer. “Then it would just be between the two of us if we kissed?”

Elnora paused mid-reach, casting a sideways glance at Kristine, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Ah, so that’s why you’re so curious.” Her tone was teasing, but her eyes flickered with something that made Kristine’s intentions all the more apparent.

Kristine shrugged with a coy expression, and Mason, watching the exchange on his monitor, felt a spike of irritation. Elnora tilted her head slightly, as if sizing Kristine up, her grin widening.

“Big brother will definitely know,” Elnora said with a grin that could have been playful, but Mason didn’t miss the challenge in her eyes as she spoke directly to the camera.

“You bet,” Mason muttered, irritation seeping into his tone as he turned away from the screen. Was Kristine actually trying to seduce Elnora instead of focusing on the task at hand? His irritation turned into something sharper as he stormed out of his room and headed straight for the study.

Elnora spotted him first, her smile growing as she locked eyes with him. There was a dangerous allure in the way she watched him, like she knew she had him wrapped around her finger. It was infuriating—and exhilarating.

“What brings you around, Mason?” Elnora asked, her tone dripping with mock innocence. Kristine turned, her expression shifting as she realized she’d been caught.

Mason’s voice was cold as steel. “I’ll deal with you later,” he said, though his eyes never left Elnora. The sound of her laughter, light and full of mischief, echoed in his ears, stirring something deep within him. He knew he should be focusing on the bigger picture, but Elnora had a way of clouding his judgment.

Shaking off her effect on him, Mason turned his full attention to Kristine. “Boss, we’re—”

“You were just leaving, Kristine,” he cut in, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Get those two and call it a day.” He kept his gaze fixed on her until she finally nodded and began gathering her things, leading her helpers towards the stairs without a word.

Once Kristine was out of sight, Mason turned back to Elnora just in time to see her manoeuvrer another massive curved monitor onto the desk. It fit perfectly alongside the first, forming a sleek C shape. She leaned against the desk, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

“Wow, that was unexpected,” she mused, her voice sweet, but there was a sharpness beneath it that Mason didn’t miss.

Mason crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Her smile widened, the corners of her lips curling with amusement. “Immensely. Nothing in our agreement says I can’t get into bed with Kristine—or anyone else, for that matter.” She rested her hands on her hips. “And from what I can tell, she gives you a run for your money.”

Mason’s jaw tightened, the muscles clenching involuntarily. In the past five minutes, he had ground his teeth more than he had in years, and the realization was beginning to irritate him. Without breaking eye contact, he pulled the sleek, leather chair from her desk and positioned it near the doorway. The chair creaked slightly as he settled into it.

“I’ll be all the muscle you need,” he told her.

Elnora’s eyes gleamed with a devious glint, and she tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words. “I’d have guessed you had other things to do. You know, the mafia doesn’t run itself,” she said carefully, throwing his own words back at him with a casual shrug.

Mason’s desire only intensified. She was using his words against him, and she was good at it—too good. This was reckless, foolish even, and yet he couldn’t help but feel drawn to the challenge she presented.

This woman would be his undoing, of that he was certain.

“~Questo non va bene~,” he muttered, the Italian slipping out in a rare moment of unguarded thought. He shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite himself.

Elnora arched a brow. “Care to translate?”

He leaned back in the chair, his eyes still locked on hers. “It means, ‘This isn’t good.’” He paused, his smile widening slightly as he added, “But maybe that’s exactly what makes it interesting.”