Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 17-1

Still half-asleep, I struggled to answer Ashley and Timothy's many questions. Their voices echoed in the huge, prestigious reception hall, which was located in a castle outside of town. The architecture was breathtaking, with a sublime marriage of marble and glass. The evening would feature dim lighting, an orchestra, and an impressive parade of high society people.

At the entrance, portraits of mythical personalities decorated the walls, and a red carpet showed the way for the future guests. Outside, the magnificent French garden accentuated this unique place with a multitude of flowers and trees that perfumed the air with every breeze.

From the terrace of the castle, I observed the vast expanse of greenery, which was still dormant at the first light of dawn. Suddenly brought back to reality, I answered Ashley's question.

"Camilia thinks that both of you do a great job with Yeraz's business and that I will be more useful to the girls."

My assistant leaned on the stone railing and turned her head toward me. I carefully avoided meeting her eyes to prevent her from reading all the pain I felt at leaving them. Since the announcement yesterday, I had been forcing myself to put on a brave face.

"There will be no one left in the house to stand up to him."

Pieces of memories came back to me: my meeting with her, the hours spent with the files, our meals in the kitchen. I tore myself away from the contemplation of the garden and put my eyes on her barely powdered complexion. Not a single rebellious strand of hair protruded from her long, impeccably coiffed blonde head.

"Take care of him, Ashley."

She made a little face as if I were asking something impossible. Yet I knew that my two assistants were dedicated to their work and their boss. I was leaving Yeraz in good hands.

I added, "Take the opportunity to...I don't know, hide his files, forward his calls. Tell the dry cleaners to dye his black suits blue or beige."

Ashley burst into a beautiful crystal-clear laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" Timothy had just joined us with a binder in hand.

"Ronney was listing all the different things I needed to do to get us fired in less than an hour."

"The list must be long!" Timothy replied with a long sigh. "But to keep your jobs, girls, there's one thing you can do now."

We questioned him with our eyes.

"Call security and the cleaning ladies. Ghita lost a Golconda diamond earring with a white gold frame when she came by the castle yesterday."

Ashley let out a small, annoyed moan.

"Damn it! All this expensive jewelry is insured. All she has to do is call her insurance company!"

Timothy pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Ashley.

"Exactly! I'll let you tell her."

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. I laughed and affectionately put a hand on Ashley's shoulder.

"Let's go get that earring."

We entered the castle. My eyes rested on the chandelier in the middle of the room. My last conversation with Camilia came back to my mind. My new job as an assistant would be very different from my job with her son. She had warned me that her daughters were capricious and had complicated schedules. The brand image they conveyed couldn't be tarnished by details. Peter was therefore taking care of my wardrobe during the week. I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I wasn't in a position to negotiate anything at that point. It was either that or lose my job, which meant I couldn't afford Elio's treatment and medical care. My life may have been lacking in cheerfulness, but it certainly wasn't lacking in action or drama at the moment.