Chapter 31 ۵ Work

ALEJANDRO'S POV

The buzz of alcohol still swirled in my head as I walked into the office that morning, all I could think about was her sleeping on my bed.

Rafael leaned against my desk, his ever present smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You look like hell"

"Thanks" I muttered, dropping into my chair and rubbing my temples.

Rafael raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You're tense. More than usual. Something on your mind?" I shot him a warning look, but Rafael had known me long enough to ignore it. He pushed off the desk and dropped into the chair across from me, his relaxed posture in stark contrast to my rigid one.

"Let me guess" he continued, his tone almost teasing. "It's about the girl"

"Don't" I warned, my tone sharper than intended.

"Relax" he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, it's obvious you're-"

"just fucking leave it Rafe"

"You know she's probably bored out of her mind in that house" Rafael said, breaking the silence. "You really think keeping her locked away is the answer?"

"She's not locked away, I just don't trust her"

"Well she seems pretty trustworthy to me" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, I know you're trying to protect her, but give her something to do. She'll be less of a danger to herself if she feels like she's not a prisoner"

"Yeah and what to you suggest?" I spoke, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Let her work here" I couldn't help but let out a mocking chuckle. That was the last thing I needed "She doesn't belong here, Rafael. Besides she's pretty much useless to me here"

"Wasn't she in your maths class, Professor? I doubt she's completely useless" I hated that he was making sense. But the thought of Yara here, working for me, for my mafia was something I didn't want happening.

"She'd be a distraction" I muttered.

"Maybe" Rafael admitted with a shrug. "But she'd also be an asset. You said she's smart, didn't you? Let her prove it. Or don't. It's your call. But if you keep shutting her out, don't be surprised if she starts shutting you out too"

Rafael stood, brushing off his pants. "Think about it" he said casually, heading for the door. "And try not to drive yourself crazy in the meantime" I sat leaning back in my chair after he left, mindlessly playing with my pen. Her working here, for me, wasn't what I wanted. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. The thought of her here, sitting in one of the offices, working alongside my men, was foreign but strangely appealing. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

As much as I hated to admit it, Rafael had a point. If Yara was going to be a part of my life, I couldn't keep her isolated forever.

I pulled out my phone, staring at her name in my contacts. For now, I'd let her rest. But tomorrow......tomorrow, I'd make things right. One way or another.

🎀🎀🎀

I found her in the kitchen, pretending I didn't exist, her frustration practically radiating off her as she stirred her tea.

"You should work for me" I spoke, leaning against the counter.

That got her attention. She snapped her head up, glaring at me. "Work for you? What, as your little mafia secretary?" She scoffed. I ignored her sarcasm. "You're bored out of your mind here, Yara. You hate being stuck in this house, no? This is something to keep you busy"

Her jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought she'd outright refuse. "I don't want to work for your.......your business" she bit out.

"Fine" I replied, shrugging, taking the tea from her hand, earning an angry glare "Stay here, bored and miserable. It's your choice cariño" She glared harder, clearly wrestling with herself. I waited, knowing she'd come around. And sure enough, after a long silence, she sighed. "What kind of work?"

"Something simple. Something that won't get you killed" I said, keeping my tone even. "You'd stay in the office"

"In an office?" She raised her brow. I nodded at her. She hesitated again, biting on her lip before finally muttering

"Fine. But only because I'm sick of being stuck here in this stupid house"

A smirk tugged at my lips, but I kept it subtle. "Good. We'll start tomorrow"

She brushed past me, tea in hand, clearly annoyed. "Don't act so smug, Alejandro"

"Too late" I called after her, satisfied. Watching her leave, I allowed myself a small smirk.

🎀🎀🎀

As Yara stepped out of the elevator to my agency ahead of me, I couldn't stop my gaze from drifting down her back. The slight sway of her hips as she walked, the way her fitted blouse clung to her curves, it all struck me harder than it should have. It was her first day of working for me. I let my eyes linger for a moment longer, my mind betraying me with thoughts I didn't want to entertain right now. God, she had no idea, did she? How much restraint it took to keep my hands off her. How every time she snapped at me or looked at me like she wanted to murder me, it only made me want to grab her, pin her against the nearest wall, and remind her exactly who she belonged to.

"Stop staring at me" she said suddenly, her voice biting as she glanced back over her shoulder.

I smirked, unapologetic. "Who said I was staring?"

"You don't have to say it. I can feel it" she snapped, quickening her pace as if she could escape my gaze.

"Maybe you should get used to it" I replied, my voice low enough to make her steps falter for half a second. "You're working here now, princess. That means I'll be watching you-"

"Don't call me that" she shot back, her cheeks flushing as she turned away. "And I don't need you watching me. I'll do just fine without your judging my every step"

"Oh, I'm sure you will Yara" I murmured, enjoying the way her face darkened with frustration. She hated that she couldn't control this, couldn't control me. My mind wandered again as we walked.

"You going to explain what I'm actually doing here, or are we just going to wander around while you play your little mind games?" she asked, tilting her head in that challenging way that made my blood heat.

"You'll see" I said simply.

Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought she might snap back with one of her usual biting replies. But instead, she straightened her shoulders, refusing to back down even as I loomed over her.

"I'm only doing this because I need something to do. Don't think for a second it's because-"

I leaned in, close enough to see the slight hitch in her breath. "Oh, I know exactly why you're here, princesa"

She glared at me, her lips pressed into a thin line as she turned away and started walking again. But I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at my lips.

YARA'S POV

He offered me a job. Not a normal one though, one to work at his stupid mafia headquarters. I didn't want to work there, to work for his mafia, but staying at his house with no company was becoming mind numbing which is why I agreed to working for him.

His agency was massive, it had multiple floors, it was intimidating really. His workers were all dressed in pristine clothes. They looked put together. There were guards surrounding the entire building. The more I took it in the more I regretted signing up to working for him. At least now I'd get to know more about his world.

The first day was pretty simple, he showed me around and then left, heading into his office, leaving me with a woman named Michelle. Michelle was efficient and surprisingly kind for someone working in a world like this. She showed me how to organize the endless stream of data, handle sensitive information, to say it was hard was an understatement. Despite her guidance, I wasn't prepared for how overwhelming the job would be, at first I made many mistakes, thankfully nothing too serious. But I wasn't complaining, anything was better than boredom and working made my life feel somewhat normal again.

It had been a week of me working here. I'd barely see Alejandro, he'd leave earlier and come home late at night. He'd have his driver drop me off and collect me from the agency. He was always in his office, I never realised how busy he was with his work.

It came to the point where I no longer needed Michelle. I was keeping up with files without making any mistakes, earning a sense of satisfaction from myself. I spent most of my time talking to Michelle, it was good, finally being able to talk to someone who wasn't Alejandro. Everything was going well until it wasn't.

I'd been tasked with handling a set of financial records, a task that seemed simple enough. I hadn't made a mistake for ages. I guess my winning streak was over because after submitting the numbers I realised my mistake. One that was a far lot bigger than the ones I had made before, my heartbeat started rising. I put down the bag of M&M's I was eating, taking in the situation. Somehow, I'd accidentally flagged a shipment under the wrong account, alerting authorities to one of Alejandro's critical deals. Panic clawed at my chest as I rushed to Michelle, looking for guidance. Her face paled as she realized what had happened. "We can fix this before Mr Moreno finds out" she said quickly, her voice steady despite the chaos.

"It's going to be impossible to fix, it's only a matter of minutes before he finds out Michelle" honestly at this point I probably looked like I was about to cry, better yet I looked like I was about to jump out of a window "god, I'm so stupid!" I scolded myself.

"Yara, you need to let me take the blame. Alejandro won't-"

"No" I said, cutting her off. My stomach churned at the thought of either of us having to face him, but I couldn't let Michelle take the fall for something I'd done. "It's my fault. I-I'll tell him"

Before I could move, the door to the main office swung open, and Alejandro stepped out. His eyes swept over the room, landing on Michelle and me. Even from across the space, I could feel the storm brewing behind his gaze.

"Yara" he said, his voice sharp enough to cut through steel.

"My office. Now"

Michelle opened her mouth to speak "it was me M-mr Moreno I-" Alejandro silenced her with a single glare. "Don't even think about it" he growled. "I know exactly whose mess this is"

I swallowed hard and followed him into his office, the door clicking shut behind me. The room was suffocatingly silent as I stood before his desk, my hands trembling at my sides. Alejandro leaned against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared me down.

"Do you have any idea what you've fucking done?" he asked, his voice low and lethal.

"I didn't mean-"

"Don't" he snapped, cutting me off. His jaw tightened, the muscle ticking as he took a step closer. "I trusted you with something important, Yara. And you've managed to screw it up in a way I didn't think was possible"

"I told you I didn't mean to!" I spoke, my voice trembling as I tried to plead my case.

"Didn't mean to?" His voice rose. "Do you think that matters? Do you think anyone cares about your intentions when deals like this fall apart?" I flinched as he slammed his hand against the desk, the sound echoing through the room.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you want me to say" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Sorry doesn't fix this cariño" he spoke, stepping closer until he towered over me. "Sorry doesn't erase the consequences"

Before I could react, his hands gripped my shoulders, spinning me around, bending me over and pressing me against the desk. My palms slapped against the cool wood, my breath hitching as his hand pressed between my shoulder blades to hold me in place.

My cheek squished against the polished surface, and I could feel the heat radiating off him as he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.

"You're lucky" he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. "Because if it were anyone else, I wouldn't be holding back right now Yara" I shivered at the venom in his tone, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "I'll fix it" I said, my voice shaking. "Whatever it takes, I'll fix it. I swear"

Alejandro's hand moved to my waist, his grip firm but not painful. "You're damn right you will" he said. He pulled me upright, spinning me around to face him. His hand slid under my chin, tilting my face up until I was forced to meet his gaze. His eyes burned with a mix of anger and something darker, something I couldn't quite name.

"Take a good look at that desk, Malik" he said, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. "Because one day, I'm going to bend you over it for an entirely different reason. And when I do, you'll be begging for it" My breath caught, a wave of heat rushing through me despite the fear still coursing through my veins. I hated the way my body reacted to him, the way his words sent a shiver of something forbidden down my spine.

Alejandro released me abruptly, stepping back and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves as if nothing had happened. "Now get out" he said coldly. "And don't come back until you've fixed this" I didn't wait for him to tell me twice.

That day, his driver dropped me off at the house with a quiet nod, but I barely acknowledged him as I stepped out of the car, my chest still heavy. My mistake kept playing on an endless loop in my mind, mocking me with every misstep. Alejandro's anger, his disappointment, it was suffocating. The house was quiet when I entered. I closed the door behind me, pausing for a moment to take a shaky breath. Everything about today had felt wrong, and the silence here only amplified the weight pressing down on me. I slipped out of my heels and walked up the stairs, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. As soon as I entered our bedroom, I dropped my bag on the bed and reached for my laptop. My hands trembled slightly, but I didn't stop. I couldn't let this mistake linger. I had to fix it.

The hours bled together as I sat on the bed, hunched over the screen. My eyes burned from staring at the laptop, but I refused to stop. Every time I found another error, another, the knot in my stomach twisted tighter. The clock hit 1 am before I even realized how much time had passed. My mind was foggy, exhaustion weighing down my limbs, but I still couldn't stop. I barely noticed the sound of the front door opening or the heavy thud of Alejandro's boots on the hardwood floors. It wasn't until I heard his footsteps in the hallway, growing closer, that my heart started to race.

The door swung open, and Alejandro stepped inside, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. His dark eyes scanned the room, narrowing the moment he saw me.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice was sharp, slicing through the quiet like a knife.

I didn't bother looking up. "I'm fixing my mistake Alejandro" I muttered, my fingers still flying across the keyboard.

He took a step closer, his presence almost suffocating. "Yara, it's late. You can fix it tomorrow"

"No" I shot back, my voice firmer than I felt. "I can't stop. I need to fix it. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to clean up my mess? Isn't that the reason you bent me over t-" He let out a low growl, stepping in front of me and grabbing the laptop from my hands. His movements were quick, firm, and unyielding as he snapped it shut.

"Enough" he said, his voice low and commanding. "You're done for tonight"

"Give it back!" I yelled. "I didn't mean to ruin everything, so let me fix it!"

"I know you didn't" he said through gritted teeth, his frustration clear. "But this isn't the way to fix it cariño"

"I don't care" I shouted, shoving him in the chest with all the strength I had. He barely moved, his broad frame steady. "I care about making it right! I care about proving to you that I'm not some useless, stupid girl" His eyes flashed with something I couldn't name, anger, frustration, or maybe something deeper. He reached out, grabbing my wrist and pulling me closer. His grip was firm but not painful, his face so close to mine I could feel the heat of his breath.

"Do you think I believe that?" he hissed, his voice dangerously low. "Do you think I don't see how hard you're trying? How much you're punishing yourself over this mistake?"

I froze, his words catching me off guard.

"But this" he said, his voice softening slightly "this isn't helping anyone. You're done for tonight. That's an order, Yara"

"An order?" I scoffed, yanking my wrist out of his grip. "You don't get to order me around, Alejandro. I'm not one of your men. I'm trying to clean up my own mess!"

"Yara-"

"No!" I shouted, stepping back from him. "You've already made it clear how you feel about me. You think I'm a burden, a liability. Fine"

I didn't wait for him to speak. I grabbed my pillow from the bed and stormed toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice colder now.

"To a spare room" I said without turning around. "You can have your precious bedroom to yourself"

"Yara" he growled, his voice low and threatening, but I didn't stop. I slammed the door behind me, my heart pounding as I made my way to my old room. I threw myself onto the bed, clutching the pillow tightly as I tried to calm my racing thoughts.

No matter how hard I tried to push it away, I couldn't forget the heat of his grip on my wrist, the way his eyes burned with frustration and something softer.

Sleep didn't come easily that night.

🎀🎀🎀

The next morning I woke up, my head pounding. By this point I had forgotten about the mistake and realised there was no point wasting my energy on something that was near impossible to fix.

I heard the door to my room open. There he was, standing there in the doorway.

"You done throwing your tantrum" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm, considering everything that had happened, a smirk tugging on his lips.

I rolled my eyes "you were the one making it such a big deal in the office"

"Because it is a big deal. One you aren't capable of fixing which is why Michelle's doing it"

He stepped further into the room, his gaze never leaving me. There was something unreadable in his eyes, but I couldn't place it.

"Are you still angry at me?"

"Are you?" He replied. I took a second to answer "no" I lied, thinking he wouldn't catch on.

"Is that a lie love?"

"You didn't answer my question" I spoke, getting up from the bed.

"No, I'm not angry" he said simply. "But, you're not coming to work with me today."

"What?" I asked, my voice rising despite my best effort to stay calm.

"I don't want you there today" he repeated, his tone firm, like he was making a decision for both of us. "You've done enough. Stay home"

"What the hell, Alejandro? That's not fair" I snapped. "You were the one who wanted me to work in the first place. Now, all of a sudden, you don't?"

His expression didn't change "Because I don't want a repeat of yesterday, Yara. You're staying home. End of discussion"

"That's not your decision to make" I shot back, my voice trembling with frustration. He raised a brow as if to disagree with me "You don't understand what it's like being stuck here all day, Alejandro. It's suffocating! I can't just sit around in this house and do nothing-"

"You think I don't know that you're bored? That you hate it here? Believe me, I do. But that's what happens when you can't be trusted cariño"

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "So, what? You're just going to leave me here, alone, like always?" Something flickered in his eyes, guilt maybe? It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it was enough to catch me off guard. He let out a low sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You're that bored, huh?"

"Yeah, I am Alejandro" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "You think I enjoy sitting around in this giant house with nothing to do, no one to talk to? I hate it"

He didn't respond right away, his dark eyes studying me intently. For a moment, I thought he was going to walk out of the room without another word, but then he surprised me.

"Fine" he said, his tone clipped. "If you're so bored, I'll stay"

I blinked, not sure I'd heard him right. "What?"

"You heard me Yara"

I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious or just mocking me. But the look in his eyes was sincere, annoyed, yes, but sincere.

"You'd really stay?" I asked cautiously.

"Don't make me regret it" he muttered.

"Not exactly my first choice but thanks" I couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. But before I could say anything else, he stepped closer, his body just inches away from mine. His presence filled the space, and I could feel his warmth against my skin.

"Not your first choice?" he repeated, his hand moving to my face. "Don't act like you wouldn't beg on your knees for my company princess"

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the way his words affected me. "You're full of yourself, Alejandro"

"Well if you don't want to be on your knees then what exactly do you want to do?" He spoke huskily, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, making my breath hitch. I hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know...maybe we could watch a movie or something?"

His expression hardened immediately and he removed his hand from my face.

"No"

"Why not?" I asked, frustration creeping back into my voice.

"Because I don't do movies" he said simply, as if that explained everything.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You don't do movies? What does that even mean?"

"It means...I'm not interested in sitting on a couch for two hours watching some pointless film"

"Well who said we'll be sitting on a couch? We can watch on your bed" I spoke innocently.

I looked up from the ground, a smirk fell on his lips "I can name a hundred better things to do on my bed that don't include watching a movie" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm being serious Alejandro please" I looked up at him with puppy eyes.

"I'm not a child princess, I have better things to do. Feel free to watch by yourself though" I clenched my teeth, wanting so badly to shout some profanities at him.

"Really? I would've never fucking guessed" I muttered under my breath, a look of frustration spreading over my face.

He arched a brow at me. "What was that?"

"Nothing" I said quickly, turning away from him. Alejandro let out a low chuckle, the sound rumbling in his chest.

"And you know what Alejandro forget I ever asked you to do something normal like watching a-"

"Alright" he said, stopping a few feet away from me. "Pick one. I'll give you a few hours to decide"

I blinked. "Pick one what?"

"A movie" he said, his voice calm but tinged with impatience.

"Wait, are you serious?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "You're agreeing now?"

"Pick one before I change my mind" he said, his gaze locking onto mine, intense and unrelenting. A smile crept up onto my face.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked.

His smirk returned, sharper this time. "Because watching you sulk around this house is more exhausting than anything I've ever dealt with"

I huffed "You're such a jerk"

After freshening up I headed to Alejandros bedroom. He was already there, sitting on the bed, I sat next to him, grabbing the remote and starting to scroll through the options, feeling his presence beside me.

"Come here" he spoke ushering me closer towards him. He took me in his arms, draping his arm around me. My heartbeat rose, I could feel the heat of his body radiating off onto me. I looked up at him, only to find him looking down at me intensely, the corners of his lips curling.

"Pick something decent cariño" he said, his voice a low rumble in my ear. "If you make me sit through some cheesy romance, I might change my mind"

"God forbid you experience something with actual emotions" I shot back, flipping through the options slower just to irritate him.

I finally settled on an action movie, figuring it was the safest choice to avoid an argument. As the opening scene began, I relaxed on his chest, but Alejandro's presence was impossible to ignore. The way he'd brush his hand through my hair, teasingly move it down my waist, to my hips, under my waist band.

"You're tense" he said after a few minutes, his voice quiet but close.

"Maybe because you're sitting there, with your fingers against my waistband" I muttered, biting my lip.

He chuckled again, low and husky. "You're dramatic, you know that? If I wanted to finger you I would've done it by now kitten"

My eyes shot back to the screen "Watch the movie, Alejandro" I said, my voice shakier than I wanted it to be. I couldn't help but lightly take his hand in mine, instead of pulling away like I thought he would've, held my hand tighter. My eyes slowly fluttered shut. Before I knew, I was asleep in the arms of Alejandro Moreno and for once it felt good.

A/n

Sorry for the late update, just been a bit busy <3