Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 4-5

The door closed on him with a clatter. Camilia, still livid, invited me to sit in front of her. I started breathing again.

"I know you have the shoulders for it," said the businesswoman after a long silence. "Yeraz is complicated. He always has been. When he's thirty-one, all of his father's shares will be his. He will become one of the most powerful men in the Mitaras Almawt and be influential in the underworld."

I started to understand.

"What do you want from me, exactly?"

"If I know what Yeraz is doing or what he is planning to do, then I can put my two cents in on my son's business. My vote still counts a little bit. I want to destroy this organization and save my son."

"But, Mrs. Khan--"

"Call me Camilia."

I nodded and continued, "Camilia, aren't you afraid that he will come after you? Sheryl Valley is a real nursery of mafiosi. This mafia is invisible and therefore all the more dangerous. They have this unequaled feeling of omnipotence."

"I know, but I can't leave Yeraz with this poisoned legacy. I should have gotten away from it all before, when my children were still young, but Yanis, their father, would never let me go with them. I can't count on my son's entourage either as they are also involved in this business. This is the cat and mouse game I'm asking you to play."

"The cats are more like wolves in your game. If I had a choice, I'd give you my resignation immediately, but unfortunately I can't."

"Because of your brother?"

I nodded a yes. Camilia handed me a file.

"Your contract. If you agree, sign it. As long as you follow rule number one, you will keep this job. I doubt it will ever apply to you, but I wrote it down for the sake of transparency."

I flipped through the file, looking for the paragraph at the end.

Rule 1: Mr. Yeraz Khan and his personal assistant must not fall in love with each other in order to avoid future conflicts within their work. The assistant is not allowed to interfere in Mr. Yeraz Khan's love life.

Rule 2: The personal assistant must not have a sexual relationship with Mr. Yeraz Khan. The nature of the relationship between the assistant and Mr. Yeraz Khan must remain solely professional and...

Ashley!

I stopped reading the terms of the contract aloud and widened my eyes. Normally I would have laughed, but the words on the paper had the opposite effect at that moment. Even if I drank a bottle of vodka and was absolutely wasted, there was no way I would end up like Ashley. I felt like I had reached the peak of absurdity. Faced with this embarrassing situation, I looked appalled and let out in a strangled, dissonant voice, "Uh, breaking those rules is inconceivable to me. I mean, no offense, but nothing in the world could lure me into your son's arms."

Silence. A light smile wandered on the pulpy lips of Camilia. She got up slowly and began to gather her belongings.

"I'm glad to hear that, Ronney. From now on, your only priority is Yeraz. Remember, you work for me, not him! You are free to manage your days with my son as you see fit. The only thing I ask is that you chaperone him to tell me everything he does, the people he sees, his appointments, and his projects."

The businesswoman handed me a pen and put her hands on her waist. I felt like I was living the scene of Ursula and Ariel in The Little Mermaid when they signed their deal. She was counting on me to defuse a time bomb, and that bomb was Yeraz.

As soon as I crossedthe door of Camilia's office, I leaned against the wall to try to calm thefiery beating of my heart. I remained standing there, silent, thinking of thedespair that I had seen a few moments earlier on Camilia's face. Within a week,I had switched to the other side. My poor parents must never know. No one wouldbelieve me anyway. Damn! What a crazy week! I adjusted my glasses andhurried out of the residence, the signed contract in my bag.