Chapter 34: A night with him

The black SUV stopped outside La Dolce, a cozy little bakery on a quiet street corner.

Santino shifted the car into park and turned off the engine, glancing toward the glowing storefront before looking at Soraya. "I’ll be right here," he said, pulling a wireless earphone from his pocket and placing it in his ear. "Take your time, but don’t run away."

Soraya rolled her eyes slightly, though a faint smile touched her lips. "I’m just meeting a friend, Santino. Not running away."

She pushed the car door open and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Through the tinted glass, she watched Santino lean back against the driver’s seat, tapping a screen on his phone to pass the time while keeping a watchful eye on her.

Taking a deep breath, Soraya pushed open the glass door of the bakery. A small bell chimed overhead, announcing her arrival.

The cafe was quiet, with yellow lights above the pastry displays. Behind the counter, Claire was wiping it with a cloth. When she looked up and saw Soraya, the cloth slipped from her hand.

"Soraya!" Claire gasped, rushing around the counter and wrapping her arms tightly around her. "Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re actually here."

Soraya hugged her back in excitement. "I promised to come today, so I came."

Claire pulled back, holding Soraya by the shoulders and staring at her with wide, frantic eyes. "It’s been months, Sora. Where have you been? I couldn’t contact you either, as I lost my old phone, and nobody could reach you either! I went to your old apartment, but the landlord said you packed up and left. Where on earth have you been all this time?"

Claire didn’t even take a breath as she bombarded Soraya with questions, making her feel guilty.

"And by the way... Where is Emilio? You guys got married without telling me?" She complained. "Why is he not here with you?"

"It’s a really long story," Soraya said softly, lowering her gaze. She motioned toward a small wooden table near the window. "Let’s sit down."

They took a seat by the window, and Claire crossed her arms, waiting impatiently. "Well? I’m listening."

Soraya swallowed hard, her fingers tracing the rim of the empty coffee cup on the table. "You know, Emilio and me... we never got married."

Claire’s expression darkened instantly, a scowl forming on her face. "What, really? I never liked that jerk. But what opened your eyes about him?"

"He... he cheated on me," Soraya whispered, feeling a pang in her chest. "I... I stood at the marriage altar, but he never came; rather, when I called him... He indulged in... in such dirty stuff..."

Claire slammed her hand on the table, her eyes filled with anger. "I knew it! I always knew he wasn’t any good! The coward. If I ever see him again, I swear I’ll—" Claire stopped herself, noticing the sad look in Soraya’s eyes, and softened her tone. "Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve that."

"That’s not even the most shocking part," Soraya continued, taking a breath. "Turns out, my parents aren’t who I thought they were. I found out I’m actually the heiress of the Dalias family."

Claire blinked, staring at her as if she had grown a second head. "The Dalias family? As in... the wealthy corporate family?"

Soraya nodded slowly. "Yes. And... that’s not all. Because of family ties and business arrangements, I ended up getting married."

Claire’s jaw dropped so low it almost hit the table. "Married?! To whom? You just went through a brutal breakup."

"To Santino Selvaggio," Soraya murmured, watching for her friend’s reaction.

Claire let out a sharp gasp, nearly falling out of her chair. She grabbed Soraya’s arm, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait. Santino Selvaggio? You married a Mafia King?!"

Soraya nodded. "You know who he is?"

"Sora, who in Italy doesn’t know who he is?!" Claire exclaimed in excitement. "He’s the head of the Selvaggio Mafia Family. People all over the business world are dying to even let their daughter spend a night with him, and you married that person!? How on earth did you end up marrying a dangerous mafia boss?"

"It was complicated," Soraya said with a heavy sigh. "But you seem to know a lot about him. Do you like him too?" She asked as she rolled her eyes.

Claire blinked. "Hey, I don’t go after married men, especially not after the man my bestie married," she said, chuckling, trying to process the wild twist in her best friend’s life.

Soraya looked at her in disbelief and shook her head. "Let me tell you why I’m here specifically."

"What do you mean?" Claire arched her brows.

"I want to work here," Soraya said earnestly. "I need a little space. Living in that huge estate, surrounded by guards and wealth I didn’t earn... It’s suffocating. I want to do something normal. I want to work with my hands and focus on something I actually enjoy."

Claire stared at her in absolute shock. "Sora, you’re a multi-millionaire’s daughter and a mafia king’s wife. Why on earth would you want to work behind a bakery counter for minimum wage?"

"Because it’s my choice," Soraya said, her voice firm and pleading. "Please, Claire. I just need some space. I need a place where I can breathe."

Claire looked at her for a moment, seeing the genuine plea in her eyes and a soft, understanding smile appeared on her lips. "Alright. If that’s what you really want, you’ve got a job here. But... I can’t pay you much, Sora. Our budget is pretty tight."

"I don’t care about the money," Soraya said, a bright smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Claire."

"Don’t thank me yet," Claire laughed, shaking her head. "You’ll still get regular employee benefits and a discount on pastries, though."

Before Soraya could answer, the bell above the bakery door chimed loudly.

Both women turned their heads toward the entrance as Santino walked in.

Claire froze, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the terrifying mafia king casually walking toward their table.

Soraya’s eyes widened in annoyance. She had told him to stay in the car.

Santino walked right up to their table, ignoring Claire’s terrified expression, but nodding at her in acknowledgement, and then fixed his dark eyes solely on his wife.

"Pardon me for interrupting your chat, ladies," Santino said. "Something important has come up back at the estate, and my presence is required immediately. We have to go."