The Don and His Mafia Princess: Book Two of The Costanzo Series - Standalone

CHAPTER 24

I rest my hand on my chin, staring blankly at the resume of the tenth applicant for the position of my secretary. Exhaustion weighs heavily on me, each interview blending into the next in a monotonous blur. I had no idea the process would be this draining. Every candidate who's walked through that door so far has fallen short of what I need or simply doesn't fit.

Santiago was with me earlier, but he left, leaving me to face the last interview of the day alone. The thought of asking one more person why they deserve this job makes me want to crawl under my desk and hide.

My phone pings with a message just as the next candidate walks in. I gesture for them to take a seat while I quickly reply to Santiago, but I pause as a familiar voice calls my name.

I lift my head, brows furrowed in confusion. "Emily? What are you doing here?" The words tumble out before I can stop them, shock coloring my tone.

She lifts her CV, waving it at me with a nervous smile, and realization dawns. She's actually here for the job interview. A pang of confusion hits me as I wonder why she didn't just call me if she needed work. But knowing Emily, I'm not entirely surprised. She probably didn't realize I was the one conducting the interviews and wouldn't have wanted to get the job just because she's friends with the owner's daughter.

"What happened?" I ask, recalling our conversation before her flight. "You were on a work-paid vacation."

Emily's smile falters slightly. "Yeah, I was, but I quit. I'm searching for something with better pay."

"To help with your mom's bills?" I ask gently, and she nods, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face.

"How much is it again?" The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, my mind already racing with ways to help.

"I'm not telling you," Emily says firmly, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Why?" I ask, chuckling despite myself.

"Knowing you, I have a good idea why you're asking, and I don't want to owe you," she says, and I can't believe she's already seen through my plan.

"You'll make it back working for me," I counter, a mischievous glint in my eye.

Emily's eyes widened. "Working for you? I got the job?" The shock in her voice is almost comical.

"Of course you do. Do you really think I would hire anyone else right now?" I say, unable to keep the smile from spreading across my face.

"Thank you so much, Andrea," Emily exclaims, pulling me into an awkward hug across the table. The genuine gratitude in her voice warms my heart.

"You're welcome," I reply, even as my mind races with how I'm going to break the news to Santiago that I just hired his ex-girlfriend. The potential drama of the situation is already making me smile.

"Uhmm..." Emily starts, pulling back from the hug. There's a hesitancy in her voice that makes me tense. "I wanted to ask you something."

"I'm listening," I say, bracing myself for whatever's coming.

"Did you give your brother my phone number?"

The question catches me off guard. "Yes, I did," I admit, guilt creeping into my voice. "I totally forgot to tell you. I hope you aren't angry about it."

Emily's expression is unreadable. "I'm not angry. I just wish you had asked me first. I wasn't really looking forward to speaking to him ever again."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Oh, I'm truly sorry," I say, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. "I didn't think too deeply into it."