My Online Lover Was the Mafia Boss Who Fired Me Chapter 07
When I turned my phone on after getting home, friend
requests flooded in like a tide.
[Why did you delete me?]
[Did I say something wrong?]
[Wren, come out. Talk to me.]
[Let’s sort this out in person.]
[Please.]
The last one was just a question mark.
I stared at that question mark for a long time.
Then hit decline.
Not ignore.
Decline.
I wanted him to know.
I saw it.
But I didn’t want it anymore.
A few seconds later, a text from an unknown number popped up.
[I know you’re reading this.]
[Answer my call.1
I blocked it.
Another number sent another right after.
[If you don’t answer, I’ll come find you.]
[You know I can do it.]
There wasn’t a trace of Nox’s softness left in that line.
Just the commanding bite that was all Elio.
I blocked that one too.
Then I opened my photo album and deleted every screenshot of our chats.
When I got to the last abs photo, I paused for a few seconds.
Then I closed my eyes and hit delete.
This time, every last thing related to Nox was gone.
Over the next two weeks, I sent out twenty–seven resumes.
Got six interview requests.
Ended up accepting the offer from Aurelia Maritime.
It was a port consulting firm headquartered in New York.
The interviewer looked over my original report.
He said-
“Your risk assessment for the police investigation is extremely accurate.
“Why would Valtieri let someone with your talent walk out the door?”
I smiled.
I didn’t answer.
They gave me the offer on the spot.
My new job started next month.
I thought I’d healed pretty well.
I could eat normally.
I could chat about the weather with the hot dog guy downstairs.
I could even get through a whole interview without stuttering from nerves.
But Elio’s messages kept popping up on and off.
On the third day, he added me from a new account.
The verification message said-
“It’s Elio.”
I declined straight away.
On the fifth day, he called from the main Valtieri office line.
I heard his breathing and hung up immediately.
On the seventh day, a black sedan sat parked outside my apartment all night.
I didn’t open the curtains.
On the tenth day, a dozen champagne roses showed up at my door.
Wrapped in brown kraft paper, tied with a black ribbon.
The card only said-
[Let me see you once, please.]
I threw the whole thing, flowers and all, in the trash.
After that, it finally went quiet.
The quiet just made me more nervous.
Elio never failed to find someone he wanted.
The only reason he hadn’t shown up yet was that he
still hadn’t confirmed exactly who Wren was.
Friday evening, after I finished my online onboarding meeting with Aurelia, I picked up dinner on the way
home.
Two lights were out in my apartment building.
I walked up the stairs using my phone screen for light.
When I got to the fifth floor, something moved in the shadow of the stair landing.
My hand froze on my apartment key.
A man stepped out of the dark.
Black overcoat, shoulders straight and broad.
The air smelled like the familiar mix of cedar, tobacco, and gun oil.
I turned to run immediately.
“Ivy.”
Elio’s voice came from behind me.
Rougher than I’d ever heard it.