MARCELO

"They might be our rivals but we can use their help right now and you know that." Cyrus reminded me as we sat down for breakfast together along with Silvio.

When I didn't reply and picked up a toast of bread and applied some butter to it, he continued to speak in a disapproved tone, "And you scolded me yesterday, right in front of them."

"I did no such thing." I took a bite of my toast while scrolling through my phone.

"You cut me off when I was simply asking her name."

My gaze finally slid to him as he sat opposite me. "I asked you to ask her relevant questions not to blatantly flirt with her."

"I was asking her her name, how is that flirting?"

"I have known you since I was a kid, Cyrus. You flirt with every other woman and while I don't judge you for that I expect you to behave more responsibly as my third in command, especially in front of our enemy." My tone was calm with anger laying underneath it.

Silvio sat next to me in complete silence as usual watching everything with a bored look. The house could be on fire with him right in the middle of it and he will still look bored about it.

He was like this since a kid and sometimes our mom used to worry about his lack of speech and emotions and even got him examined by a doctor but it turned out it was Silvio's choice whether to speak or not and he does feel everything just not intensely as all of us and he just likes the silence more than engaging in unnecessary talks. His words, not mine.

Cyrus unclenched his jaw and let out a sigh. One thing about him that I respect is that no matter how many times I scold him, he accepts his mistake. It's not like I scold him for every other thing but sometimes he behaves like a kid.

He's the son of our dad's best friend and we all grew up together. Cyrus's family is very influential in the business world but Cyrus was more interested in the mafia unlike his elder brother, Ezekiel who runs the family business and also happens to be the husband of our youngest sister, Chiara.

"We should consider this alliance," Silvio spoke after a long time in a low voice, glancing at me.

"That girl disrespected me and I have no time for her nuisance."

"You wanted to take down the Lennoxs, we can use her. Use her against her father once this drama ends." Cyrus added.

He had a point but taking that girl under our roof will be nothing less than a headache. That night when I first met her I already knew how fucking stubborn and annoying she is.

But another part of me still remembers that if she wouldn't interrupt me that day I would have done something very stupid like killing myself just because some woman named Ezlyn chose her best friend over me.

Anger bubbled inside me on that reminder. I am over her already but my heart is a bitch and it still fucking hurts sometimes when I remember how stupid I was to expose my heart to her. Never again. It was the first and the last time it happened.

Once I assured myself, I focused back on food, not replying to what Cyrus said.

For the first time since morning, an interest sparked in Silvio's eyes as Lilith, our head cook placed her special salad in front of us on the table, passing a small smile to me and leaving as soon as possible without making any eye contact with Silvio. His eyes followed her retreating figure before he focused back on the food.

Lilith grew up with us, her mother used to work for us while she spent her time with us or more like with Silvio. They used to be best friends, she was the only person Silvio spoke the most to but ever since they both went to college and returned, something changed between them.

I swear to fuck they better solve it because I can't handle the tension when they both are in the same room and I can't afford him getting distracted during this time.

"You are not listening to me, bro!" Cyrus complained.

"There will be no alliance," I stated firmly.

Cyrus's shoulders slumped in defeat and once done with breakfast, Silvio pulled out a cigarette and lit it, smoking it without any care in the world.

I left the dining room and walked to my study, closing the door behind me. Sitting behind my computer I went back to searching for who the fuck RX is, we don't even know whether it is an organisation or the name of a single person.

For an hour, I tried all that I could but found nothing and a headache started to form so I turned off the computer and picked up another unsolved Rubik's cube, solving it while my thoughts ran at a wild speed, a million things going through my head and I was surprised Orla fucking Lennox found a way into them.

Her innocent features make you think she is innocent yet she is a spitfire. Even dared to disrespect me but she even saved my life indirectly for which I spared her.

Minutes later, I heard some commotion outside so I pulled out the CCTV footage and found someone standing at the front door, glaring at Silvio and Cyrus. None other than Ms Lennox herself, of-fucking-course.

I placed the now-solved Rubik's cube back on my desk and made my way outside to the front door, sensing me, Cyrus and Silvio stepped back and I came face to face with the little spitfire who stood there all alone, not even a single soldier with her.

"Someone seems to be on a suicide mission." I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my ankles and arms.

When she kept glaring at me, I gestured to both Cyrus and Silvio to leave, they looked unsure but left anyway.

When she didn't speak anything for another minute, I said, "Did you come all this way just to glare at me?"

That seemed to work as she pulled out something from her jeans pocket, a white envelope and extended it to me. I regarded that envelope with narrowed eyes and she sighed. "It is just a letter."

"Cat got your tongue, little spitfire?" I don't know why but I was finding it amusing. "You can't speak that you need to communicate with a letter?"

"I can speak very well, thank you very much but I am not going to bruise my ego any further by saying all this to your face."

With a raised brow, I took the letter from her, my fingers brushing hers in the process making her pull back her hand almost immediately.

I tore open the envelope and pulled out a one-page letter:

Don't know and don't care what the hell you think about me but I am a fast learner and if you train me, together we can eliminate this new enemy. I don't want to say this but I have to, I am sorry for what I said to you yesterday even though you fucking deserved that but I don't wanna disappoint my family, they already think I am good for nothing. So you better accept this alliance or you will have to face my wrath.

~Orla Lennox
And I don't have an annoying accent, you do!

My lips twitched, threatening to curve into a smile but I smothered that urge. She has some nerves.

Just to spite her even more, I deepened my accent and stared her dead in her eyes. "Non sapevo se ridere o soffocarti a morte. I might consider this if you apologise by speaking."

"I have no idea what you said before that but I am not going to apologise again. I don't really care, I tried my best but you are an asshole and no one can change that." Then she fucking showed me her middle finger, turning around to leave.

Before I could comprehend what I was doing, I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her back, turning her around and almost lifting her off her feet so that she was level with me.

Her eyes widened and she tried to remove my fingers but I only tightened my grip making her let out a choked breath.

"You really have the audacity to come to my house and disrespect me. Again." She tried punching me but I grabbed both her wrists with my other hand and held it firmly behind her back.

"You hurt me and it will be a war." She warned. "I might not be the heir to dad's empire but he does care about me."

"Hurt you?" I pressed my thumb firmly over her pulse which was running at a high speed. "This is my last warning, Ms Lennox. Disrespect me again and you won't even get the chance to apologise."

With a final squeeze, I let her go as she stumbled back, breathing heavily but all this didn't lessen the intensity of her glare.

"Pack your bags and move in tomorrow." I stuffed my hands inside my pockets. "You have one week to prove yourself before I consider the alliance." And turning around, I left.

Chapter completion on: 11/2/23
Published on: 10/3/23