Silk & Steel: A Mafia Romance | ENGLOT - ON HOLD

Chapter 22: A Different Side

Wyvern's POV:

"Buongiorno Sof," I greeted, taking a seat opposite her.  "I'm heading out to the orphanage later. You want to come?"

Sofia's playful smile evaporated, replaced by a grimace.  "Go take her with you, bro."  She pointed a thumb towards the hallway leading to the infirmary, where Contessa is probably organizing medical supplies.   

"Huh?  But I'm asking you, not her," I deadpanned, staring unamused at Sofia.  

"I don't want to, those kids hate me," Sofia whined, throwing her hand up dramatically.  "They think I'm scary." 

There was a sliver of truth to her statement.  Sofia, with her sharp words and fierceness, could be intimidating.  But beneath that tough exterior, I knew she cared deeply for the children.

"They don't hate you," I countered.  "They just... need time to warm up."

Sofia rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, right.  Maybe Contessa can work her magic on them.  Besides," she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "don't you want some alone time with her?"

Sofia's words hung in the air, a mischievous glint in her eyes. A blush crept up my neck at her teasing. There it was again – that undeniable spark I felt with Contessa. Denial was a losing battle at this point.

"Alright, alright," I grumbled, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably. "Maybe spending some time with her outside of work wouldn't be the worst idea."

Sofia threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the rec room. "There you go, admitting it!" she exclaimed. "I knew you had the hots for her!"

Just then, Contessa walked by, her arms laden with medical supplies. Sofia, with the timing of a well-oiled machine, intercepted her.

"Hey, Contessa!" she chirped, her voice overly cheerful. "Wyvern's heading out to the orphanage later. Want to join her?"

I shot Sofia a playful glare, silently mouthing "thanks a lot." Contessa, however, seemed surprised by the invitation.

"The orphanage?" she echoed, her brow furrowed. "You own one?"

"Several," Sofia continued, oblivious to my silent grumbling. "Wyvern here's too shy to admit it, it's this place we run for kids who've lost their folks. Wyvern needs some company, and hey, those little ones could use some medical attention too, right?"

Contessa's gaze darted back to me, a silent question hanging in the air. This wasn't exactly how I'd planned to ask her to come along, but Sofia's meddling had a certain... unplanned charm to it.

Taking a deep breath, I met Contessa's gaze. "Actually, Sofia's right," I said, trying to sound casual. "The orphanage could use some help. And besides," I added, a hint of a smile playing on my lips, "it would be a good practice for you, doing check-ups and stuff, wouldn't it?"

Contessa's lips twitched at the corners, a hint of amusement softening her features. I held my breath, waiting for her answer. The thought of spending time with her, seeing her interact with the children, sparked a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with the morning sun streaming through the window.

"Sure, I'd love to," she replied, her voice carrying a note of enthusiasm.

Relief washed over me, a welcome counterpoint to the nervous anticipation fluttering in my stomach. "Great," I said, forcing a casual tone. "We'll head out in a couple of hours. Get yourself ready."

As Contessa disappeared back into the infirmary, I shot Sofia a withering look. "See? Normal people like spending time with children." I teased, a playful jab at her earlier reluctance.