FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

Two large palms reached around, covering her eyes from behind. Felicity would have rolled her eyes to show how annoyed she was, had he not covered her eyes. She had been waiting for him for the last twenty minutes and had finished her large cup of coffee.

She tossed aside the business magazine she was reading and brought her hand to her face to pry the fingers off her eyes.

Turning her head, she glared at the culprit, who grinned from ear to ear, charming and seductive as always.

“You’re late,” the sweet feminine voice reprimanded Alexander. He chuckled while his wife chastised him because he spent so long in the office, even though he had promised to finish his work early. Felicity had made shopping plans with her husband. She wrapped up her work as soon as possible and drove to Alexander’s office so they could leave together for shopping.

Every trace of annoyance vanished from her face, and a warm smile replaced Felicity’s scowl as the employees walked out of the meeting, striding to greet her on their way.

Alexander moved to the side to stand beside her and watched her interacting with his staff. People were always amazed by Felicity’s magnetic personality, posh and polite, charming yet authoritative. It was so fascinating to watch her commanding attention and appreciation so effortlessly.

Alexander would probably be looking like a fool, grinning for no reason. He didn’t give a damn, though. It was his great pleasure to admit that the brilliant woman with beauty and brains was his to admire and worship. It didn’t matter if he came across as her obedient assistant standing behind her, waiting for her command.

Felicity felt his stare and turned her head only to catch him scanning her form from head to toe for no reason. Alexander shamelessly grinned when she sent a subtle glare his way in a warning. Felicity couldn’t tame her lips from giving away, and they twitched into a smile. It was both astonishing and embarrassing at the same time how much her husband swoons over her.

Alexander’s phone went off suddenly, pulling him out of his private thoughts, and he had to cease his divine mission of idolising his wife to check his phone. It was Mathew’s call, so Alexander received the call immediately. He lifted his index finger, signalling Felicity that he would be back in a minute and walked into his office.

“Hmm,” Alexander let out a neutral sound in acknowledgement as Mathew started speaking without bothering to exchange any pleasantries. Alexander closed the door to finish their phone conversation in the privacy of his office while Mathew reported about the outcome of his visit to Italy and California.

Pulling the swivel chair out from the table, Alexander sat comfortably leaning back. His left hand supported the weight of his cell phone against his ear while his free hand played with the square transparent paperweight on the table.

“As I said, all’s fine in Italy. Luca still has some sense not to try his luck against Francesco Carlo. The man would’ve roasted that rat to death if he had dared to even think about setting foot within his premises,” Mathew said, amused and proud laughter lacing his tone.

Mathew had confirmed the safety of Alexander’s parents and his in-laws two days ago. Yet, Alexander couldn’t stop himself from asking again. Mathew knew Alexander was worried. After all, the mafia lord had a weakness too. Like any other normal human being, he was also scared of losing his loved ones.

Alexander smiled, relieved that his family was safe. Though Alexander never doubted that Francesco would handle everything all by himself, he couldn’t stop worrying about his father. So Mathew had doubled the security on Alexander’s command and had warned their men to be extra careful with his family’s protection.

Alexander had pressed Mathew to stay a day more in Italy even though he had reported that his family was far away from any danger.

Mathew had to personally monitor Luca Baresi’s every activity to assure himself the whole situation remained under his control, as Alexander wouldn’t trust anyone other than him.

However, Luca was too careful and discreet about his plans if he had any against Francesco. Mathew couldn’t trace any sign of contact made between Luca and Jackson, whom the former had entrusted the responsibility of arranging the bounty on Alexander’s son.

Mathew immediately got to his work as soon as he landed in California. Alexander had called for an underground meeting. Upon his command, all the sinners in the crime world in and around California had gathered in one place. It didn’t take Mathew more than an hour to locate Jackson’s roots. Jackson was the youngest son of a local gangster who dealt with drugs and prostitution.

“I’ve been monitoring his phone calls, and neither Luca nor Jackson reached out to each other after Jackson flew from London,” Mathew said.

Alexander’s green eyes darted to the door as a brief knock interrupted him before his assistant peeked his head inside. Alexander let go of the paperweight for a second to wave his index finger twice in dismissal. The assistant got the message and immediately pulled the door close before vanishing from Alexander’s sight.

Felicity sighed at the assistant’s hesitant shrug of shoulders. She dismissed him with a polite smile before barging inside her husband’s office. How dare he ignore her presence again for his stupid phone call? The assistant had come with her message for Alexander to remind him she was waiting for him.

“Then where has that bastard been hiding, Matt? What’s taking you so long to wound your hand around his neck and strangle him?” Alexander snapped into the phone as his patience was wearing off. Jackson had been playing hide and seek for two days, and Mathew hadn’t been able to track him yet.

“Is everything alright?” Felicity asked from the door. Alexander lifted his eyes to meet Felicity’s and instantly nodded his yes to her question upon seeing the frown of worry on her gorgeous face.

Felicity crossed her arms and glared at her husband, sceptical of his response. She could clearly pick up traces of anger and frustration from his body language. It wasn’t helping that she heard him yelling at Mathew. Alexander got the hint and walked across the table to reach her. He wrapped his free hand around her shoulder, gently guiding her to the chair.

“Both our parents back home are safe, and so are our boys in London,” Alexander assured and smiled before pecking her temple. “It’s just some cleaning Mathew is up to,” he explained briefly. When Felicity relaxed in her seat, he walked back to his chair. Eyes still trained on Felicity, Alexander resumed his conversation with Mathew.

Alexander heard the commotion through the phone. A strained voice was pleading for his son’s life. It didn’t take him more than a second to know it was Jackson’s father. Alexander cautiously moved away from Felicity to make sure she wouldn’t overhear his conversation and stood near the window, ear glued to his cell phone.

On the other side, ignoring the man’s desperate cries, Mathew spoke into the phone.

“He runs a sex parlour. They sell minor girls as sex slaves to rich assholes and supply drugs to all the schools and colleges in California,” Mathew revealed. Alexander caught on to how Mathew forced the words through his gritted teeth.

Mathew informed him further that Jackson’s father claimed to have no hand in his son’s conspiracy. It seemed Jackson had taken up this new job of bounty hunting with the greed of making extra money. Mathew had no reason not to believe what Jackson’s father admitted. Mathew had done his homework the previous day.

Alexander couldn’t blame Jackson for accepting Luca’s deal, though. It was too good an opportunity for anyone to reject. Luca had offered a hefty amount of cash. After all, he had placed a bounty on the head of Alexander’s son, not any ordinary boy’s head. If only Jackson had known who he was trying to kill.

“Don’t waste too much time on him, Matt. I want you here by the time Junior reaches home,” Alexander voiced. He wasn’t requesting but merely ordering, and Mathew wasted no time in agreeing. Mathew couldn’t wait to get his hands on Jackson and strangle him to death, as Alexander suggested earlier.

“By the way, I have news for you,” Mathew said as an afterthought. He internally scolded himself for forgetting to provide Alexander with this essential information. It skipped his mind in his haste to hunt Jackson. He wouldn’t have remembered if Alexander didn’t mention Hunter. “Your boy is bringing his girl home,” Mathew revealed.

Though Hunter had asked him to keep it a secret, Mathew still obediently reported to Alexander.

Alexander’s eyebrows arched in surprise at the provided new information, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Felicity. The clever woman, ever the observant, already had her attention fixed on Alexander.

“Goodness, Matt, it’s quick of him. He’s faster than we thought,” Alexander couldn’t hide the amusement lacing his tone, effectively catching Felicity’s attention. The latter lifted one of her perfectly carved eyebrows in a question. The subtle tilt of her head, the excitement mixed with curiosity in her eyes, and a faint hint of a smile on her lips told him she had an inkling of the context.

Grinning from ear to ear, Alexander winked at his darling wife in response.

“I wasn’t supposed to reveal it, so please act surprised or something when you meet the girl,” Mathew quickly added, drawing a chuckle out of Alexander.