The air seemed to still as their eyes locked, undeniable tension brewing between them.

  His tightened grip on her wrist sent an unwelcome sensation through her body.

  "If you wanted my undivided attention, Tatiana, you only had to ask." He finally said as his thumb traced small circles against her pulse point. "There’s no need for jealousy."

  She pulled her hand away, genuine anger flashing in her eyes. "I am not jealous of your rotating collection of arm candy."

  "No?" He studied her with predatory intensity. "Your flushed cheeks suggest otherwise."

  "My 'flushed cheeks' suggest I'm two seconds away from throwing this drink in your face." She gripped the glass tightly, the fantasy momentarily tempting.

  Before the situation could escalate further, she spotted Sophia returning from the restroom. "Your companion is back. I suggest you return to her before she finds someone else to entertain her."

  Massimiliano glanced over his shoulder, then back to Tatiana, "This conversation isn't over. I will see you later Tatiana."

  "Oh yes, it is!" She turned away sharply, ready to attend to another customer.

  Near midnight, when the club was at its busiest, Tatiana took a brief break, needing to distance herself from the increasingly irritating spectacle.

  She headed toward the employee hallway, intending to splash cold water on her face and regain her composure.

  She didn't hear him follow until it was too late.

  "Running away?" Massimiliano's voice came from directly behind her as she entered the dimly lit corridor.

  She turned, finding him closer than expected, effectively blocking her path. "Taking a break. Which you're interrupting."

  "You've been avoiding my table." He stepped closer, backing her against the wall. "Sending waitresses instead."

  "I have other customers, Massimiliano." She lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated despite their proximity.

  "My name sounds different when you're angry." He placed one hand against the wall beside her head without actually touching her. "I like it."

  "Where's your date?" She attempted to sidestep him, but his other arm came up, trapping her between his body and the wall. His body towered over hers creating a cage that she’s desperately trying to get out of.

  "Networking. She understands how these evenings work." His eyes dropped to her lips. "Unlike you, apparently."

  "Meaning?"

  "Meaning your jealousy is as obvious as it is unnecessary." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "If you want me, Tatiana, you only need to say so. No need for the attitude."

  The presumption! The sheer arrogance!

  His audacity made her blood boil. "You think I'm jealous? Of what? Your ability to pay for companionship?"

  His expression hardened, "Watch yourself."

  "Or what?" She pushed against his chest, he didn’t budge. "You'll fire the best bartender you have? Please."

  His hand moved with startling speed, fingers wrapping gently but firmly around her throat, a reminder of power dynamics she'd momentarily forgotten in her genuine anger.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "You need to remember your place, Tatiana." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Whatever game you're playing, whatever your real purpose here, don't forget who's in charge."

  Their faces were inches apart, tension crackling between them.

  "Let. Go." Each word articulated with fury.

  Instead, his thumb traced the line of her jaw, the gesture almost tender despite the threatening position. "Tell me what you really want, Tatiana."

  "What I want is to do my job without being harassed." She met his gaze defiantly. "Now remove your hand before I remove it for you."

  For a brief moment respect and amusement flickered in his eyes. He released her, stepping back but keeping his body close to hers.

  "We’re not done yet." He straightened his cuffs. "Not by a long shot."

  "Oh we definitely are." She pushed past him. "Bye! Enjoy your evening with Sophia. I'm sure she charges by the hour."

  Whatever game Massimiliano was playing, she'd allowed him to score a point tonight. It wouldn't happen again.

  ––––––––––

  A few hours later, across town, in the penthouse office of the De Luca building, Massimiliano dismissed Sophia with a generous envelope and meaningless promises to call soon.

  Her dress was wrinkled, lipstick smeared beyond repair and her thighs still trembling from how hard he'd fucked her against his desk.

  "You were rough today, Massi," she'd purred afterward, adjusting her clothing. "Something on your mind?"

  "Don't call me that," he'd snapped, zipping his pants with sharp movements.

  "Sorry. Massimiliano." She corrected herself. "Someone making you angry? That little bartender perhaps?"

  He ignored the question.

  He had been rougher than usual with Sophia, driven by frustration over Tatiana's audacity.

  In the heat of passion he had grabbed her blonde hair, wishing it was darker, picturing those defiant hazel eyes and that sharp tongue that dared challenge him.

  Sophia had taken it all, gasping and moaning with enthusiasm while he closed his eyes and pretended she was someone else entirely.

  The moment the elevator doors closed behind her, he shed the performative intimacy like an ill-fitting coat, turning his attention to Antonio who waited patiently in the adjoining room.

  "Report." He loosened his tie, pouring himself a drink from the crystal decanter on his desk.

  Antonio placed a folder before him. "The DNA results are inconclusive. The sample quality wasn't optimal, we only managed to recover partial sequences from the glass."

  "Elaborate."

  "It means we can't confirm or deny with certainty that she's Tatiana Moretti." Antonio opened the folder, revealing comparison charts. "There are minor similarities to the samples we recovered from the Moretti residence artifacts, but not enough for definitive matching. We'd need a better sample."

  Massimiliano frowned, studying the technical data without fully comprehending its nuances. "What about the surveillance?"

  "That's where it gets interesting." Antonio's expression shifted subtly. "The counter-surveillance team we detected wasn't backing Hayes."

  "Meaning?"

  "They work for your father."

  Massimiliano froze, glass halfway to his lips. "My father is having her watched?"

  "It appears so. Discreetly, separate from our operation." Antonio's discomfort was evident as he’s caught between loyalties. "They've been monitoring her around the time she joined Nocturne"

  "Why?"

  "Unknown."

  "Continue our surveillance, but adjust parameters to avoid detection by my father's team." Massimiliano made a decision. "And prepare the house in Connecticut. I'll be visiting him this weekend."

  "Yes, sir." Antonio hesitated. "Should I compile the Volkova intelligence for that meeting?"

  "No." The response was immediate, definitive. "That remains separate for now."

  After Antonio departed, Massimiliano moved to the window, staring out at the city lights while processing the evening's developments wondering what his father’s angle was. Whatever, whoever Tatiana Hayes truly was, she had captured the attention of both De Luca men.

  And that, in itself, was cause for concern.

  He took a slow sip of whiskey, remembering the flash of genuine anger in her eyes, the slight tremor in her voice when pushed beyond her control. For all her training, all her preparation, she was still human. Still vulnerable to emotion.

  He would use that.

  The weekend visit to his father suddenly took on greater significance. Lorenzo De Luca had secrets, he always did. But secrets concerning Tatiana Hayes? Those Massimiliano needed to uncover, with or without his father's cooperation.

  The game was evolving, pieces moving on multiple boards simultaneously. And Massimiliano intended to control them all.