Mafia's African Rose

Crack

     I hummed softly while watering the flowers, trying to hold onto whatever peace I could find in this chaos. Despite the pain in my body, today felt different. Maybe it was the garden's quiet beauty, or maybe I was just losing my mind. Still, it was strange, with Head Maid Samaya suddenly disappearing.

Zoe said she saw some men dragging her to the Don's office, and after that, she was just... gone. No one talked about it, but I knew everyone noticed. Now Miss Claudia had taken her place, and at least she wasn't stomping around like a ghost. I laughed at my own ridiculous thoughts.

Why am I laughing? I wondered. And then, for some reason, I laughed harder, my stomach tightening painfully from the effort.

"You've gone mad, haven't you?"

A deep, familiar voice jolted me back to reality. I gasped, turning quickly.

The Boss stood just a few inches away, his tall frame casting a shadow over me. His eyes bore into me, and I suddenly wished I could disappear. "Sir..." I stammered, my heart hammering in my chest. "I was just... uh..."

He stepped closer, and I could smell the faint trace of his expensive cologne. I dropped my gaze to my hands, suddenly very interested in my fingers. What is wrong with me? I chuckled again nervously, realizing too late how ridiculous I must've looked in front of him.

"Eyes on me," he commanded, his voice low and cold.

I reluctantly looked up, and for a second, I forgot to breathe. He was beautiful—dangerously so. His long black hair was slicked back, though a few rebellious strands fell onto his forehead. His sharp jawline, those full lips, and his golden eyes stared back at me. Everything about him screamed perfection. I had no business staring at him like that, so I quickly looked away, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

"You were laughing," he noted, his tone softer but still unreadable.

I swallowed hard. "Yeah... I was." My voice was barely a whisper.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for me to explain. "Let's hear it then."

I nearly groaned. Why did he care about something so stupid? But there was no escaping now.

"Well... uh..." I began, trying to form a coherent sentence. "I was just thinking about Head Maid Samaya... She never smiled, you know? Always frowning. It reminded me of madam koi koi from this Nigerian ghost story—"

He rubbed his stubble, his brow furrowing, but his eyes were still locked on mine. Then, suddenly, a smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "So, you think the same of me?"

My heart dropped. "No!" I blurted, shaking my head wildly. "I swear, sir, I didn't mean you! I was just thinking about—"

I stopped short when the most unexpected thing happened.

He laughed.

Not just a chuckle, but a deep, rich laugh that echoed around us. I stared, frozen in shock. The Boss, who never smiled, was laughing. And he was even more beautiful than before, with dimples that I hadn't noticed before. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. His laughter stopped, his expression cold and unreadable again. His phone rang, and he answered it with a sharp tone, walking away as if nothing had happened.

I stood there, still stunned, wondering what the hell just happened.