The Albanian Promise (Croesus #4)

Chapter 11

I shook my head as my new boss was being so nice to me and I never met that person yet. I was happy, beyond joy right now. I looked at the clock, it was 2 in the afternoon. I went to the kitchen as I was making some light lunch before I can take a shower and maybe get ready for the party.

At 7 PM sharp, my driver arrived in front of my house as I was locking the apartment. I turned to look that my driver was not invited to the party because he was dressing up in his usual clothes.

"You're not going?" I asked him as he would have been invited as Val was the one that paid him to drive me around.

"I would but my wife was sick,"

"Oh God, are you alright? Should you be driving me? I mean I don't want you to leave your wife alone," I said as I was looking at him. He smiled before he opened the door.

"It's quite alright, Ms. Clover. My wife has someone with her right now and I will be leaving as soon as I dropped you off at the ball," my driver said as I slid inside the house. He went to the driver's seat and got in. He adjusted the rearview mirror and looked at me with his eyes.

"Mr. Bianchi has offered to take you home if you don't mind," he said as he looked at me. I smiled at him.

"Well, it seems like Mr. Bianchi was a nice person after all," I said as I was smiling at him. He replied with a smile of his own.

"He is, that much is true," he said before he sped off from my apartment to the unknown destination that I don't know where.

After 30 minutes of driving (and thankfully there was no traffic, it's evening. Duh, Flora!), we arrived and the mansion was so big that I can believe someone like Mr. Valentino Bianchi will be living here.

"After you, Miss," my driver said as he got out and held the door for me. He offered me his hand as I was getting out of the car. The dress was tight that it was hard to move but I think I can get used to it.

"Thank you," I said as I was slipping my mask so that it would stay on my face.

"I hope you will enjoy the party, Ms. Clover,"

"Well, thank you. You should head out now. Your wife needs you," I said as I was touching his arm. He nodded at me before I was walking toward the entrance of the mansion.

Some people were talking on the porch and some were heading inside. I was so out of place as I can sense that everyone has their group and I was all alone until someone cleared their throat behind me.

"Miss Clover, I presume?" A very handsome man was smiling at me. He held out his hand as I can see his wedding band on his right hand.

"Yes, and you are?"

"Ah, you have to excuse my manners. I have so many things to be done tonight but I would not miss greeting my recruit," he said as he was smiling at me. I smiled as well as I was about to take off the mask, he stopped me.

"Ah, ah! You cannot take it off. It will defeat the purpose of having them," he said. I knocked my eyebrows together.

"Then, where is your mask?" I asked him before he smirked at me.

"Well, I was the host for tonight and I don't need them. You, however, Ms. Clover—"

"Flora, please, Val. We talked about this,"

"Ah, yes, sorry. I must have forgotten about our informal chat," he said as he was showing me to go inside. He did not hold me as I was putting my hands in front of me as I was walking beside him. I kept a very safe distance before someone with a bulging stomach made her way toward us.

"Honey, I was worried sick. Where have you been?" Her voice was so sweet like an angel. I wondered if I ever sound like that.

"Ah, sorry, sweetie. I went to greet our guest of honor. Iris, I wanted you to meet my newest recruit, Flora. Flora, this is my wife, Iris," he said as he put his hand on her waist possessively as he was claiming his wife. My heart ached at the gesture.

I wondered if anyone would do that to me as well.

I held out my hand as I was smiling happily at her. She was so cute and nice that I was sure I can be a fast friend with her.

"Hi, nice to meet you, ma'am," I said as we shook hands. She laughed at my formality.

"Please, you can call me Iris, if you like," she said as she was looking at my eyes through my mask. I smiled even wider.

"That would be my honor. Then, I must insist you call me Flora then," I said as I was releasing her hand. She went to put it on her belly before she exhaled loudly.

"Honey, I think I need to lay down. My feet were killing me," she said as Val was escorting his wife to the house.

"Go inside, Flora. Try to mingle, I see you in a bit," he said as they went out of my sight as I was making my way into the living room that looked like a ballroom. I was so amazed by the architecture that I hit someone's back. He made a sound as he was splashing some champagne from his flute.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry, sir. I did not mean to run into you," I said as I was helping him. He has black hair as he was looking quite familiar in his lean body. But I was sure that Danial was never associated with Val. He was too arrogant for that.

"No, it's fine," his voice was velvety and there was no hint of English. He was a pure Albanian, or maybe Italian, by the way, he dressed and he was dabbing his suit with a napkin.

"If you send the suit to the laundry, I will personally take care of the bill," I said as I offered more napkins to him. He gladly took it as our fingers touched. It burned me as I pulled it right away. He chuckled.

"This is not how I imagine my encounter with a beautiful woman," he said as his face was above me. I looked up at his height and I can see that he was wearing a mask. His lips were smiling at me. I blushed as I stared at his kissable lips. He was saying something but my mind wondered what it would be like if I was under him.

"Hello? Hello? Are you here?" He asked me as he was waving his hand at me before I blinked a few times. I shook my head slightly before I was rubbing my temple.

"Sorry, I must be zoning out. What did you say?" I asked him as I looked into his hazel eyes as it was warm and inviting like I was sucked into the pool of depth in them.

"I was asking if you like to seat together at the table?" He said as he was rubbing his neck. My heart pumped as this gorgeous hunk was inviting me to sit with him.

"Well, sure, if you don't mind," I said as I was walking with him as he showed us our table.

"No," he said as he looked at me through his mask, "I don't mind at all,"