The Mafiaso And The AD 1024

Confirm suspicion

Donte's PoV

The meeting room was filled with the low hum of voices, employees murmuring to each other as they settled into their seats.

I watched them with a calm, controlled expression, letting the anticipation build before I began the presentation.

This project was critical-a deal that could expand our influence and secure our dominance in the market. Every detail had to be perfect.

As I started the meeting, outlining the project goals and expectations, my gaze flicked over to Amara.

She was seated at the far end of the table, and her eyes focused on her laptop as she typed, seemingly absorbed in her work.

But I knew better. Amara was always listening, always observing, even when she pretended not to be.

Her presence in the room was hard to ignore. There was something about her-something that made it impossible not to be aware of her, no matter how hard I tried to focus on the task at hand.

She was a puzzle, one that I was determined to solve, but she kept her secrets well-guarded.

The presentation continued smoothly until, suddenly, the screen flickered and froze.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at the stalled projection, and I could feel the tension rising.

This deal was too important for technical glitches. I glanced at Amara, who had already lifted her head from her laptop, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed the situation.

"Petrova," I said, my voice cutting through the silence.

She looked up at me, her gaze sharp and questioning. "Yes, sir?"

I made a slight gesture toward the presentation, indicating the frozen screen. She caught on immediately, standing up from her seat with a quiet nod.

As she moved to the front of the room, her movements were fluid and confident, though I didn't miss the hesitation in her step when she realized the eyes of the room were on her.

Amara quickly reached the computer connected to the projector and started working to fix the issue.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard with practised ease, and within moments, the presentation was back on track.

The screen flickered back to life, and the murmurs of unease in the room subsided.

"Stand there in case it happens again," I instructed, a grin tugging at the corner of my lips.

She hesitated, her eyes narrowing just slightly as if she was weighing her options. But then she nodded, taking a step back to stand by the computer, ready to intervene if needed.

There was a tension in the air now, an unspoken challenge hanging between us. She knew I was testing her, and I could see that she was trying to figure out my game.

I continued with the presentation, explaining the intricacies of the project and the logistics of the upcoming business trip.

As I spoke, I kept my gaze on Amara, watching her carefully.

My employees asked questions, their voices blending into the background noise as I focused on her.

Her eyes, normally a deep brown, flickered with a strange, almost imperceptible change in colour. It was subtle-so subtle that most wouldn't have noticed-but I did.

A slight shift, a glimmer of something unnatural. It was gone as quickly as it came, but it was enough to confirm what I had been suspecting for some time now.

She wasn't just the smart, mysterious woman she pretended to be. There was more to her, something hidden beneath the surface. And whatever it was, it was starting to reveal itself, bit by bit.

She must have felt my gaze on her because she looked up at me, her eyes locking onto mine. I grinned, letting her know that I had seen it, that I knew she was hiding something.

Her reaction was subtle-just a slight clearing of her throat, a shift in her stance as she looked away, pretending to be focused on the presentation.

But I could tell she was uneasy, and that made me all the more curious.

The questions from my employees kept coming, each one more mundane than the last, but I answered them all without breaking my gaze from Amara.

The others in the room were oblivious to the silent exchange happening between us, but I knew she felt it.

She was trying to maintain her composure, but I could see the cracks starting to form.

As the meeting dragged on, I found myself more interested in her than the project itself. What was she hiding?

What secrets lay beneath that calm, collected exterior? I needed to know, and I wouldn't stop until I had the answers.

Finally, the meeting began to wind down, and I started delegating tasks for the upcoming trip. But even as I outlined the details, my mind was on Amara.

She was a mystery I was determined to solve, and now that I had seen a glimpse of what lay beneath the surface, I was more intrigued than ever.

When the last question was asked and answered, I dismissed the room, watching as everyone began to gather their things.

Amara was quick to retreat to her seat at the end of the table, her eyes once again glued to her laptop as if nothing had happened. But I knew better.

As the room emptied, I stayed behind, lingering just long enough to catch her eye one last time.

She looked up, meeting my gaze, and I saw a flash of something there-something that told me this was far from over.

She may have been able to hide her secrets from the others, but she wouldn't be able to hide them from me. Not for long.