Deception

Chapter 18 - Wanderers

~Silas POV~

My pen starts tapping against the glass.

I never knew how little patience I had until now.

The diva in disguise hasn't been in my office for fifteen minutes before she takes up my mind. I thought it'd be fine. That I'd ignore her existence as long as she was out of sight but I was wrong.

Something. Everything about her exceeds my expectations. When I first saw a picture of her, smiling coyly with her hair filling half the frame, I thought her to be wild. Rebellious even.

What women wouldn't with a father like Santiago?

And then I met her, and she was the opposite of everything I thought. That was when I knew how perfect she was for this. For making Leone's life miserable.

I set the pen down and sit back in my chair, the wise words of Frederico Mancini and his proposal drowning out.

She wore pink gloves.

Pink fucking gloves.

"Mr Cavallaro?" Frederico stares at me with round eyes, noticing I'm not listening. My thumb swipes over my lower lip.

"You bore me." I grit. "You're excused, I'll lead this meeting."

He stares at the table for a few long seconds but my patience has run dry now.

"Today." I snap with an annoyed edge.

He stands, gestures towards the door and takes three of his men with him. This was the last meeting I'd take before the trip to Russia tomorrow.

The stress was eating me alive. My five year plan was finally taking place, for Xavier, and all I could think of was what she was doing in my office. Fuck.

~Catalina~

I look his way once more.

I can tell he's trying to hard to avoid my gaze and when I speak, his adams apple bobs up and down.

"I think I've seen you before."

He ignored me. Sighing, I sink deeper into Silas's chair, which is really comfy by the way. It's been twenty minutes of me sitting in silence and its horrible. Its like I've been put in a time out.

Finally I have enough and I stand, the man's eyes following me warily. He's quite young and well kept; hence the biceps peeking through his blue button up.

With those boyish looking eyes, you'd never think he's involved with a man like Silas, but then I see his forearm.

A folded sleeve exposes a mark on the inside of it. A burn mark in the shape of a small circle.

When he notices me staring I look away and pretend to lose myself in the items sitting on the drawers. Everything in here is masculine.

Lined with modern brown cupboards and dressers, with a big brown desk at the end of the room. Along with the wood, I can smell him here. That forest-like scent that seems to follow me everywhere.

My hands run over the tops of the drawers. Over the piles of paperwork he left out.

What a fool. Putting his files here for anyone to see. Bianca Cavallaro...you're going to owe me big time for this.

While walking past the drawers, I see pens, photos of strange men, and then I freeze.

A packaged condom. He's had women in here.