Saving the Don

★ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔 ★

A.N: We almost reached 2.5K words with this one guys!! ENJOYYY~

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Daliah's POV

"One cinnamon butter croissant and a cold coffee with extra coffee for..." I rechecked the tiny notepad in my grasp. "Aria."

Dylan snapped his fingers, pushing away from the counter. "You got it."

The familiar hiss of the espresso machine and the buzzing murmur of customers created a comforting background hum as I moved around the cafe, taking one order after the other, body aching from the usual bruises and the exhaustion of trying to keep everything together.

My eyes darted to the dark form lounging on the table beside the window, a pair of crutches leaning on the wall beside him. Yup, Enzo was here again, and I have decided to make peace with the fact and temporarily put a lid on the suspicion bubbling in my mind with his name on it.

But I guess my existence had other plans for me today.

He seemed absorbed in something, his brow furrowed in concentration. And I couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity.

I finished taking a couple's order and made my way to the counter, discreetly peeking at the object of his attention on my way. He was holding a piece of paper.

The same one I had seen that day.

A sense of unease settled over me. What was so important about that paper?

While I was trying to strangle the exaggerated urge to grab his collar and question him until I'm satisfied...

"Daliah," A velvety voice called out.

The cafe was a noisy place, yet as soon as the person spoke, its as if everyone else's chatter was suppressed into hushed whispers for a second.

My eyes instinctively turned to look for its source, spotting Enzo gazing at me with a soft smile, beckoning me over with a flick of his index and middle fingers.

The brief, yet painful hush made me feel like I was being scrutinized by everyone, before it got drowned out as the conversations kicked up once more.

As I awkwardly walked over, I noticed his grip on the paper tighten slightly.

"Hey, Enzo," I greeted him, keeping my tone casual. "How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could get one of those espressos you make so well." He replied and flashed me another smile, revealing a perfect set of pearly whites.

Before I could reply, he glanced down at his wristwatch and spoke again, "Ah, it is time for your break now, no?"

I checked the wall clock before nodding in confused confirmation.

How does he know my break timings? Was he by chance keeping track yesterday?

Enzo raised his left hand, waving it in the air. "Then, no worries. I do not mind waiting for my coffee. You have been running around the cafe for the past three hours. Get some rest, yes?"

"Oh...yeah, thanks." I mumbled, before hesitating.

Oh well waddya know, the opportunity presented itself.

"What are you working on? If you don't mind me asking..." I inquired about what was bugging me for days, feeling my anticipation growing by the second.

Enzo glanced at the paper and then back at me. "Oh, this? It's just a list of potential employees for the cafe I run."