Chapter 35: Chapter 35

After they disembarked from the helicopter, Mason’s hand found hers, his arm cradling her protectively against him as he guided her away from the thundering rotor blades. The sound of the chopper faded as they climbed down into a hallway bathed in golden decor. Elnora squinted at the large E emblazoned at the end of the corridor, its ostentatious display hinting at the wealth and power behind this sanctuary.

A group of Castelli soldiers led by Antonio were lined up there, waiting. Their presence was unnerving, like a wicked gang of well dressed grim reapers. She recognised all the five Castelli lieutenants and it was shocking to see the entire top management assembled in one place. One of the men stepped forward, she barely remembered his name. Unlike the other four, this lieutenant was almost nearly a ghost, like Mason. He had a tablet in hand, which he passed to Mason with a respectful nod. Mason released her hand, his attention shifting to the screen.

“Everyone is accounted for, and we have our eyes on the compound and Eden,” the man reported, his voice cold and efficient.

Elnora felt the man’s gaze slide over to her, lingering a beat too long. His deep brown eyes, set in a face as sharp as a blade, assessed her with a predatory calm. Even in his impeccably tailored suit, he was terrifying. She stole a glance at Antonio, whose expression was as unreadable as ever. These men were cut from the same cloth—ruthless, wicked, and capable of unimaginable violence.

“~Signora~, did you patch the feeds to us?” The stranger’s voice snapped her back to the present. His tone was polite, but there was no emotion in those brown eyes and it made her skin crawl. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

“Keep everyone alert and on guard,” Mason commanded, his voice rolling through the hallway like thunder. It was a tone she hadn’t heard directed at her, one that brooked no argument. He was in his element, a wartime general issuing orders with lethal precision. Giorgio and the others dispersed quickly, leaving only Antonio and that lieutenant who looked far more dangerous than the Castelli enforcer.

Mason turned to her, his expression softening as he took her hand again. “Donni will escort you to my suite and stay with you,” he told her. “I’ll join you shortly; I have some things to handle.”

Elnora gave him a smile. His brilliant green eyes flickered with a sweetness than calmed her for a minute, then she looked over at Donni and those dead eyes terrified her all over again.

“You know where to find me,” she said.

Reluctantly, she let go of Mason’s hand and turned to face Donni, who regarded her with that cold, detached stare. The man was taller than her, his demeanour as sharp as the buzz cut that crowned his head. He gestured down the corridor with a curt nod, and Elnora fell into step beside him.

As they walked, she took in her surroundings. The long corridor was reminiscent of a luxury hotel, all polished marble and understated elegance. Eden, she realized, was more than just a safe house; it was the Castelli fortress, a carefully guarded secret that she was starting to realise.

“This way,” Donni directed, his voice low and clipped, as if every word was calculated. Elnora shot him a sidelong glance, searching for any sign of emotion, but his expression remained as inscrutable as ever, eyes locked ahead with an unsettling focus.

As Elnora walked, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, feeling the uncertainty pressing on her chest with every step. Her mind churned with a lot of doubts and half-formed questions. What had happened to Mason on the helicopter? She couldn’t stop thinking about the sudden change in him, the way he almost crumbled under the burden of some deep, unspoken pain. There was no mistaking it—he had been through something harrowing, something that left scars. And the thought that she might have been the one to trigger that pain gnawed at her.

Every word she had said to him replayed over and over in her mind, making her question if she had gone too far. The guilt made her uncomfortable.

Elnora’s thoughts kept circling back to the same question: What had Mason been through? She wanted—no, needed—to understand his past, to know the full story of what had shaped him into the man he was. Why had he changed his name and distanced himself from his family? Enrico had once told her that the De Lauro’s had fallen out with the authorities, forcing them to disappear. But that explanation felt too simple, too convenient. There had to be more to it, something personal that drove Mason to shed the De Lauro identity completely.

As she continued to walk, Elnora’s thoughts shifted from worry to something else. She wanted to help him, to be there for him in a way that perhaps no one else had been. But to do that, she needed to know the truth. There was darkness in him, pain and anger that he kept buried beneath layers of control.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Mason wasn’t just someone who had come into her life by chance. He was hers, in a way that felt both undeniable and terrifying.

The sharp ding of the private elevator pulled her back to the present. She followed Donni into the lift, her nerves prickling with unease. What kind of twisted hold did Mason have on her that she couldn’t just walk away? The image of his piercing green eyes flashed in her mind, and she shook her head, trying to clear his spell.

Donni pressed the button for the penthouse, and she eyed him warily. His silence was unnerving. Even though he seemed like the quiet type, something about his demeanour made her skin crawl. The elevator ride was suffocatingly silent as they ascended, and just like her, he made no attempt at small talk. When the doors finally slid open, Donni led her into a suite that oozed the same cold, muted luxury as all of Mason’s other properties—white walls, grey and black furniture, and teal accents that did little to warm the space.

“Where are we?” she asked, moving to the window to peer out. The building was high, about thirty floors up, and the view of the city was very familiar.

“The Garden of Eden,” Donni responded, his tone as flat as ever.

Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to face him. No way! The Garden of Eden was the most exclusive condominium in Berkton, a place she’d only ever dreamed of seeing from the inside. If the Castelli owned this, then she had grossly underestimated them. They didn’t just own properties—they owned the entire city.

“Is there anything I can get you?” Donni asked, loosening his tie as he approached her, his steps almost predatory.

She instinctively backed away, her heart pounding in her chest. His frown deepened, the heavy lines of his brow giving him an even more ferocious look, but he quickly stepped back, giving her space.

“Nothing,” Elnora replied coolly, pulling the hard drive from her back pocket and placing it on the desk beside her.

A gnawing worry took root in her gut. Was she making Mason soft? Was her influence turning him into someone who could be overpowered by the ruthless lieutenants he surrounded himself with? That block should have been reduced to rubble by now, and yet it wasn’t—because of her. Was she unintentionally making him vulnerable?

“How long have you known Mason?” she asked Donni.

“For as long as he’s known me,” Donni shrugged. “If you’ve got questions about the boss, you can ask him yourself. I’m no blabbermouth.”

Elnora couldn’t help the snicker that escaped her. “You mean you’re no snitch?”

“Whatever floats your boat, signora,” he replied with a dismissive tone.

As she paced away from Donni, she felt something was wrong. Why was she so concerned about Mason? Was something going on that he wasn’t telling her? Well duh, of course he was keeping things from her to protect her.

“Is there a problem?” Donni asked, his stoic voice and presence stopping her pacing.

“What isn’t wrong?” she groaned, lowering herself onto the grey couch closest to her. Mason had walked into her life and consumed her completely, leaving her with more questions than answers.

“It isn’t part of my duties to deal with emotional baggage,” he growled at her distress.

As she gathered her thoughts, she shot him a glare, chewing on her bottom lip. Shouldn’t she be focusing on finding Marcy and uncovering who Joe really was? That would beat sitting around and going crazy worrying about Mason and what he was up to.

“What exactly do you do?” she asked him, trying to shift the conversation away from her thoughts.

“I do whatever my boss needs me to do.” Donni shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Elnora shot up to her feet and faced him. “I’ve got to find my friend—”

“Those Russian pricks are out for blood, and as much as I would love to kill every last one of them, it would be utter foolishness to leave Eden right now,” Donni cut in, his tone still flat as before, like nothing could excite him.

“Then I’d like to talk to Mason,” she insisted.

“You will when the boss is finished down there.” Donni’s eyes were devoid of emotion as he spoke. “I suggest a hot soak and rest. I will be here if you need me.”

“Fine.” She huffed in frustration. “But can I at least get a phone or a laptop?”

Elnora was finished with feeling powerless. If Mason thought he could shield her from the darkness of his world, he was wrong. She was in this now, like it or not, and she was going to find a way to help him—even if it meant facing her own fears head-on.

“Anything else?” Donni’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“Scotch. The older, the better.” She met his gaze, noticing the way his eyes swept over her with a look she couldn’t read. “And then, I’ll need your help with something else.”

“Sure, turn me into your errand boy, why don’t you?” The sarcasm in his tone amused her, drawing a soft laugh from her lips. Mason’s lieutenants were more… refined than she’d expected. She’d assumed men in the mafia were all brute force and brawn, but the more she interacted with Mason’s inner circle, the more she realized how wrong she’d been.

“It requires your special…” she let her gaze flicker over him, lingering on his emotionless eyes, “life-snuffing abilities.” A rare smile tugged at the corner of Donni’s mouth.

“In that case, I’ll be back shortly.” Donni left the room immediately, and Elnora started to pace, her eyes scanning the living space of the penthouse She considered taking the bath Donni had suggested, but Joe and the Russians were still out there. If she had any hope of returning to a normal life, she needed to help Mason fix this mess—and fast.

A knock on the door was followed by the sharp click of heels as Kristine entered without waiting for an invitation. The fixer sauntered into the room, her usual air of irritation firmly in place.

“I’ve never had so much business from one client in all the years I’ve been in this racket,” Kristine said as she walked up to Elnora, her gaze flicking over her appraisingly. “At least you’re not sporting the aftermath of a wild night this time.” She gestured at Elnora with a wry smile.

“It’s great to see you too, Kristine. I’m glad I’m good for business.”

Kristine flipped her hair back with a sharp shake of her head. “I’ve had better though.” She gave Elnora a pointed look. “By the way, thanks so much for dragging me into the grittier parts of the boss’s business.”

Elnora met her halfway across the room, a smile on her lips. “My pleasure. So, what brings you here?”

“To set you up again,” Kristine replied, rolling her eyes. “The boss ordered all associates to fall back to Eden.” She looked around the room. “How are you holding up after the kidnapping incident? And did I just see the devil’s henchman leaving here?”

Elnora chuckled at the very apt description of Donni. “I’m fine, thanks for asking. You know Donni, then?”

“I’ve had the unpleasant experience of his company. Those men are the violent emissaries of death,” Kristine said, pointing to the window. “I take it those drones are your doing?”

“How many capos does Mason have, Kris?” she asked her.

A knowing smile curved Kristine’s lips as she turned to face Elnora. “Worried about your man? I get it, this is dangerous business, but you don’t need to be concerned. The boss is the worst of them all.”

Her man? Elnora’s heart skipped a beat. Kristine clearly knew more than she was letting on.

“My man? What did you hear?” she asked.

Kristine shrugged. “It was pretty clear when the boss called you ~la mia donna~. I guess you found time between getting snatched and being rescued to screw his brains out.”

Elnora bit her lip, suppressing a smile. Mason had called her his woman? The thought sent a thrill through her, but she quickly pushed it aside. There were more pressing matters at hand.

“I’m ready when you are,” Kristine said, her hands hanging on her hips, drawing Elnora’s attention to the sleek lines of her outfit—a white corset-like blouse paired with a toffee pencil skirt.

“Ready for what?” she asked.

Kristine’s expression shifted to something more serious. “Madam Amelia wants a word with you.”

What? Amelia De Lauro. What could the former boss of the Castelli family possibly want with her? Before she could ask, Kristine’s gaze darted past her and she gasped in horror, and Elnora turned to see Donni standing in the doorway.

“You were just leaving, bitch,” Donni growled at Kristine, his voice cold as ice. Kristine walked out without another word and Donni slammed the door shut as he adjusted the laptop in his hand, then approached Elnora.

“~Signoria~…” Donni began with that same icy detachment she’d come to expect from him.

“My name is Elnora,” she corrected.

He offered a smile, but it was a hollow gesture that never touched his cold, dark eyes. “I can’t address you by your name, ~signoria~.”

Another shrug. Elnora rolled her eyes, recalling Kristine’s warning that Mason was the worst of the bunch. It wasn’t hard to believe. She wondered just how deep the darkness ran in these men.

“That was rude of you, calling her a bitch,” she said, testing him.

“It would be rude if it wasn’t true,” Donni replied with another indifferent shrug. “Now, tell me whose head you want me to remove.”

She felt a chill run down her spine at the ease with which he said it. There was something about the way he spoke, casual and dispassionate, as if killing was nothing more than a simple favour. Elnora’s thoughts momentarily shifted to something else—Octavia. She needed to understand how Octavia had infiltrated Gia’s club, why Richard was working for her, and what role Mason had played in Octavia’s vendetta.

Before she could respond, the front door swung open, and two suited men flanked a woman who could only be described as fierce. The newcomer wore a sharp cream gown. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun, and her unsmiling grey eyes reminded her of Enrico.

“~Signora~ Amelia,” Donni grumbled, bowing his head slightly in deference.

Amelia De Lauro’s gaze locked onto Elnora, her eyes piercing through her as if stripping away her defences. The room grew colder with her presence, the shadows lengthening as if they, too, were under her command.

“Excuse us, Donni,” Amelia said, her voice carrying a frightful enthusiasm that made Elnora wary. “I’d like a moment alone with her.”

Donni hesitated for a split second, his eyes flicking between Elnora and Amelia. Then, with a slight nod, he turned and exited the room, leaving Elnora alone with the former boss of the De Lauro family.

As the door slammed shut behind him, the silence became suffocating. Amelia took a step closer, her gaze bearing down on Elnora. A cold sweat formed on her brow and she fought the urge to back away.