The Don Worth Only One Dollar Chapter 01

The Don Worth Only One Dollar Chapter 01

Pushing the door open, I immediately noticed Vincent’s little secretary hiding under his desk.

The girl was deliberately messing with him—the guy could barely keep a straight face.

Without so much as a glance in their direction, I placed the file in front of him. “Authorization for the Queens arms smuggling request. Sign it.”

He was fighting to keep it together, barely looking as he picked up the pen and flipped through the pages.

Only then did he lift his hazy eyes. “I thought your flight wasn’t until tomorrow. Why are you back so suddenly?”

I picked up the file. “Had to take care of something urgent.”

Before turning away, I glanced under the desk. “Let her out.”

He froze for a second.

Probably expecting me to do what I’d done before—make a scene in front of the girl, start drama, pull out my phone.

But I just added, flatly, “Kneeling too long will make her feet numb.”

Guilty, he changed the subject. “What urgent thing did you come back for?”

I didn’t answer. I just closed the door behind me and hung up the *DO NOT DISTURB* sign.

He had no idea—I’d already taken care of it.

…

A soft, coquettish complaint from Lena Gallo drifted out of the office, “Vince, that scared me to death just now.”

Vincent chuckled lowly.

His voice was low and rough, thick with unspent lust, “What are you afraid of? She’s not going to eat you.”

“But she’s your Donna…”

“That’s exactly why she’s my Donna, she’s so sensible. See? She left on her own, didn’t she?”

I stood outside the door, the hallway light slanted across the floor, pooling at my feet.

Lena’s voice grew even softer, “Then… are you going back to the manor tonight?”

“Fun is fun,” Vincent said casually, “but I still have to go home.”

Lena giggled, “Vince, are you so used to her waiting on you that you can’t go a single day without seeing her?”

“It’s not that I can’t go without her, it’s her that can’t handle it. She’ll be upset if I don’t come home,” he replied lazily, “She’s as stubborn as a mule, but she can’t live without me!”

“You know how ugly the falling out was between her and her family when she married me, right?”

“If I don’t show up at home, do you little side pieces even think you’ll get to keep your lives?”

He spoke of that heavy, painful memory like it was a sweet love line.

Lena’s voice turned syrupy, “Then… do you like that about her? She acts so high and mighty, but she’s actually completely pathetic!”

The air went quiet for two seconds.

Then I heard Vincent laugh softly, and ask in return, “What do you think?”

“I think…”

Lena didn’t get to finish her sentence, because I pushed the door open.

The two people inside the office froze at the same time.

Lena was half-sitting on Vincent’s desk.

Vincent was leaning back in his chair, the collar of his shirt unbuttoned.

He froze for a split second when he saw me, then raised an eyebrow.

“Forgot something?”

I didn’t say a word. I walked in and headed straight for the coffee table.

My car keys were indeed left there.

I picked up the keys and turned to leave.

“Bella.” Vincent stood up and walked around the desk toward me.

His arms circled around my waist.

He was always like this. No matter where we were—at the Romano Family Manor, at the Romano Family Headquarters, at crowded high-society events—he never held back from showing physical gestures of affection for me.

I pulled away gently.

After fooling around with the girl, he smelled of women’s perfume, exactly the same bottle that sat on my vanity.

When he gave it to me last month, he said this scent was “one of a kind” and perfect for me.

Looking back now, he must have bought at least five bottles in bulk.

“I’ll come home for dinner tonight,” he said in his usual gentle tone, “What do you feel like eating? I’ll cook myself, make your favorite filet mignon with red burgundy, hmm?”

Lena huffed softly beside him.

“No need,” I said, “I have plans tonight.”

The smile on the man’s face faded a little, but the corner of his mouth was still lifted, “What’s wrong? Are you angry?”

He leaned closer, “Is this about Lena again? I told you, she’s just a—”

“I know,” I cut him off softly, “She’s an intern secretary, she needs your hands-on guidance.”

What exactly that “guidance” entailed, of course, was entirely up to his whims.

He froze for a moment. He probably didn’t expect that this time, I wouldn’t throw a fit, or even bother with sarcasm.

He raised his hand to touch my face, but I had already stepped forward.

“Fine.” He shrugged and grabbed my arm instead, “No matter how important your business is, you have to be back at the manor before nine.”

Lena snickered beside him.

I glanced at her, and she looked back at me.

My husband had shielded her far better than all the other women I’d dealt with in the past.

There was undisguised smugness and provocation in her eyes.

Youth really was such a wonderful thing.

Looking at her bright, lively face, I almost felt like I was back to the summer when I was 20 years old, tucked tight in Vincent’s arms as we ran away from the psychiatric hospital.