I Was the Wrong Girl in His Bed, Now I Own His Empire Chapter 05

I Was the Wrong Girl in His Bed, Now I Own His Empire Chapter 05

My heart clenched violently the moment he said it.

All night, Bryson hadn’t mentioned the past at all. I’d assumed he simply hadn’t recognized me.

But now, this question of his… it was clearly a probe.

The air inside the car had gone so quiet it felt suffocating. The driver in the front said nothing, focusing on the road. Then the soundproof partition slowly rose, sealing the back seat off from the world.

Neon lights outside slid across Bryson’s profile.

The new Don of the Ventresca family. The youngest ruler of Boston’s underground empire. Rumor had it he

had personally eliminated three traitors within his own family in the past two years. Even several old mafia

families in New York didn’t dare cross him easily.

And now, that man was sitting right beside me.

Close enough that I could smell the faint cedar and tobacco on him.

I forced down the panic rising in my chest and gave him a flawless smile.

“I’m sorry, Don Ventresca. I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“Have we met before?”

Bryson let out a soft, unreadable chuckle.

He slowly turned his head toward me. Under the dim light, his dark eyes looked deeper than ever, like they

could swallow someone whole.

“In college,” Bryson said lazily, “I was the hockey team captain.”

“Most people would’ve seen me at least once.”

Then he leaned slightly closer.

The pressure in the air tightened instantly.

“At the very least,” he added, “they wouldn’t say I’ve had plastic surgery.”

The air seemed to freeze.

My palms were already starting to sweat.

Had Bryson… already recognized me?

The thought flashed through my mind before I immediately crushed it.

Impossible.

Hooked nothing like I used to in college. And more importantly, I had prepared for this.

I quickly unlocked my phone and pulled up the identity file I had prepared in advance.

“I’m sorry, Don Ventresca. I misspoke that day.” I handed him the phone. “I’m a 2019 graduate of Westbridge University. You probably weren’t in my year, were you?”

On the screen was a completely fabricated identity prepared by my company.

Name, age, academic record, overseas background. Everything was airtight.

Before I debuted, the company had even changed my name and rebuilt my entire identity to erase my past.

I never thought the first time I would use it… would be to lie to Bryson.

The car fell silent for a few seconds.

Bryson took the phone and slowly scanned the screen.

I saw it clearly.

His brows gradually knitted together.

My heart climbed straight into my throat.

But then, suddenly, he let out a quiet laugh.

“I see.”

He returned the phone to me.

“You’re right. We weren’t in the same year. I had already graduated by the time you enrolled.”

The heavy stone in my chest finally dropped.

So he really hadn’t recognized me.

Now that the suspicion was gone, it was time to move forward.

I subtly tightened my fingers and let a faint blush rise on my cheeks before speaking softly.

“Don Ventresca… are you heading back to a hotel tonight, or your private residence?”

The moment the words fell, the car fell into complete silence.

Even the driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

Everyone on the East Coast knew this:

The Don of the Ventresca family never allowed anyone to probe into his private territory.

And what I had just said… was already a blatant invitation.

Bryson lowered his gaze to me but said nothing.

That silence was heavier than any rejection.

I felt his stare pressing into me, my back stiffening. Every second dragged like a blade scraping slowly

against my nerves.

After a long moment, Bryson finally raised a hand.

“Take Ms. Davenport home first.”

The driver immediately responded.

“Yes, Don Ventresca.”

When the car stopped outside my apartment building, I still felt unreal.

Bryson had done nothing.

No pressure. No conditions. Nothing.

Just sent me home.

Back in the apartment, Vera was already pacing like she was losing her mind.

“No, seriously, what is he trying to do?” she muttered, clutching a pillow. “First he helps you get the director’s attention, then he eases the censorship issue, and now he personally sends you home? And still nothing?”

“This is weird. Too weird.”

Her pacing made my head ache. I pressed my fingers to my temples.

“I just… don’t think Bryson is that kind of person.”

Vera froze mid-step and stared at me like I had lost my mind.

“Jasmine.”

She lowered her voice.

“Don’t be naive. People like him? Clean?” she scoffed. “One fiancée in name, a dozen mistresses in secret. If he keeps even one of them long-term, that already counts as loyalty. And that’s still better than most men

in his position.”

The Ventresca family isn’t some ordinary dynasty. They built their empire on casinos, weapons, and underground banking.”

“Do you even know how many lives are under the ground he’s standing on?”

I fell silent.

Vera sighed, her tone softening.

“The entertainment industry is a place that eats people alive. Without backing, without power, it’s almost impossible to survive.”

“That’s why I kept asking you if you were really sure about stepping into this world.”

Two years ago, when my mother was seriously ill and hospitalized, I signed with Vera’s small startup agency to cover medical bills.

The company was small, with almost no resources and barely any real team.

The only advantage was that they were willing to loan me a large sum for surgery.

And Vera… she was one of the few genuinely decent people in this industry.

At least she never forced her actresses into drinking or sleeping their way up.

“I’m already this far in,” I said lightly, leaning back on the sofa. “I still owe the company so much money.

It’s not like I can just walk away.”

Just then, Vera’s phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID and frowned, stepping out onto the balcony to answer.

A few minutes later, she came back inside.

But her expression had completely changed.

Confused. Even a little dazed.

A bad feeling immediately rose in my chest.

“What happened?” I asked.

Vera stared at me for two seconds.

Then slowly said,

“Jasmine… your backing…”

‘…might actually have arrived.”