Chapter 9 - THE NEW CHIEF
Two weeks later.
The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Romano Enterprises boardroom was blindingly bright.
I stood at the head of the long mahogany table, wearing a perfectly tailored charcoal pantsuit. My hair was pulled back, but my hands no longer trembled.
The board members—fifteen of the most powerful, dangerous men in Chicago—stared at me in absolute silence.
The door opened behind me.
Victor Romano walked into the room. He moved slowly, leaning slightly heavily on a cane, his left arm resting in a dark sling. He looked paler than usual, but the sharp, commanding aura that defined him was entirely intact. He had survived the gunshot and the stab wound, though the surgeons said it was a miracle.
Victor walked to the head of the table and stood beside me.
“Gentlemen,” Victor said, his voice carrying effortlessly across the room. “As you know, the Capotosti family has been dismantled. Matteo is facing life in federal prison for racketeering, and Senator Davenport has resigned in disgrace.”
A murmur of approval rippled through the men.
“But moving forward, we are changing how we operate,” Victor continued, his dark eyes locking onto the oldest capo in the room. “We are going entirely legitimate. The port contracts are clean. The shipping routes are legal. Anyone who has a problem with this new direction can leave their keys on the table and walk out that door right now.”
No one moved. They knew better than to challenge a man who had just orchestrated the downfall of his greatest rival while bleeding out on a dock.
“Excellent,” Victor nodded. He turned to me. “Furthermore, Miss Hastings is no longer my executive assistant.”
The men shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what was coming.
“Clara is now the Chief Operating Officer of Romano Enterprises,” Victor announced, his voice brokering absolutely no argument. “She holds fifty percent voting power. When she speaks, you listen as if the words came from my own mouth. Are we clear?”
A collective, respectful nod went around the table. “Yes, Mr. Romano. Yes, Miss Hastings.”
“Meeting adjourned,” Victor said.
The men filed out quickly, leaving Victor and me alone in the sunlit boardroom.
I looked at him, my heart doing that same, violent flutter it had done in the safehouse kitchen. “Chief Operating Officer? Victor, I was just hoping for a raise to cover my dad’s physical therapy.”
Victor smiled—a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes. “Your father’s physical therapy is fully paid for. By a legitimate, corporate healthcare plan. How is he doing?”
“He walked unassisted yesterday,” I beamed, the relief washing over me. The antidote had worked perfectly. The poison was completely out of his system. “He asked when he gets to meet the boss who saved his life.”
“I’d be honored,” Victor said softly. He stepped closer, abandoning his cane to rest his good hand on my waist.
“And Elian?” I asked, leaning into his touch.
“Elian is currently terrorizing his new nanny with finger paints at the estate,” Victor chuckled. “He asked if you’re coming for dinner tonight.”
“I wouldn't miss it.”
Victor looked down at me, the intensity in his eyes melting into something profoundly warm and vulnerable. He reached up, his thumb gently tracing my jawline.
“You didn't just save my empire, Clara,” Victor whispered, his face inches from mine. “You saved my family. You saved me.”
“You took a bullet for me,” I reminded him, my breath catching as he leaned closer.
“I’d take a thousand,” he promised.
May you like
Victor closed the distance, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that tasted of absolute survival and undeniable promise. It wasn't the kiss of a boss and a secretary. It was the kiss of equals. Partners in business, and partners in life.
The dark days of the mafia were behind us. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer in the sunlit boardroom, I knew the future we were building was finally, entirely ours.
