The Mafia Heir’s Runaway Mistress Chapter 02

The Mafia Heir’s Runaway Mistress Chapter 02

Elena’s POV

I fell for Lorenzo De Luca at first sight.

Growing up, I had always been the definition of a good girl.

I studied hard, earned my teaching degree, graduated, and went back to my old school to teach.

Teaching. Blind dates. Marriage. Kids. That was my whole life, mapped out plain as day.

Then one day, a friend who worked as an agent asked if I wanted to join a reality show.

I quit my job, cut off my heavy bangs, and headed to Los Angeles.

Six months later, I had hit wall after wall.

I was on the verge of being dropped by my agency, couldn’t land a single role.

And to top it off, a producer cornered me in his office and harassed me.

I’d bitten my tongue as long as I could, but eventually I snapped.

“Fuck you!”

Just when I thought my acting career was over before it had even begun, I met Lorenzo.

In a private room packed with D-list actors and small-time directors, the notorious heir was holding court at the center of it all.

His voice was lazy and teasing.

A careless smile curved his lips.

A cigarette rested between his long fingers.

The Richard Mille on his wrist caught the shifting light and practically blinded everyone in the room.

It was a visual sucker punch. Like watching a heavyweight step into a room full of amateurs.

All it took was one look, and I completely fell for him.

I’ve always had a thing for rogues with charm. Especially not one like him.

Then he chose me. And pursued me with no attempt at subtlety.

He paraded me in front of the media and openly claimed me as his girlfriend.

My best friend had always been surprisingly supportive.

“What’s the problem? For a girl like you, sometimes you need to date a wild one before you’re ready to settle down with a decent man.”

“Besides, a guy at Mr. De Luca’s level—even the crumbs he drops would set you up for life.”

“Seriously, milk it while you can, before he gets bored.”

I couldn’t argue with that logic.

So I let myself drown in the warmth he spun around me.

He was generous. He never hesitated when it came to gifts.

When he learned I wanted to act, scripts were delivered directly to me for selection.

With him backing me, every obstacle on set disappeared.

Even the road to the Oscars suddenly seemed smooth. All I had to do was polish my craft a little more.

If Sienna hadn’t come storming back, maybe I could’ve clung to his side for a few more years. Maybe even scored a decent nomination.

I had heard of Sienna Ricci long before I ever met her.

The first time Lorenzo’s close friend Matty met me, he’d compared me to her.

“She’s pretty, sure. But she’s too sweet. She doesn’t have Sienna’s spark.”

That was the first time I’d heard Sienna’s name.

Lorenzo’s friends had never really accepted me.

The only reason they put up with a small-time actress like me was because they believed Sienna had broken his heart years ago.

In their minds, he needed someone around to help him get through it.

Then one day, the dazzling movie star arrived at my house with a team of bodyguards.

She kicked in my front door, smashed my favorite vase, and then, right in front of me, grabbed my cat and threw it out the window.

The cat’s terrified scream made my entire body shake.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, yet I couldn’t even manage a proper threat.

Sienna casually dusted off her hands and looked me up and down with open pity.

“Five years Lorenzo kept you around. I expected someone with actual game.” She laughed. “Turns out you’re just a pushover.”

“But then again, it tracks. A pet with no fight is easy to keep around—zero effort required.”

Every inch of me trembled.

I’d bitten my lip so hard I tasted blood.

Trespassing. Property damage. Animal abuse. Any one of those would be enough to ruin her if it got out.

Her bodyguards blocked the doorway.

Apparently reading my thoughts, she stepped aside and deliberately cleared a path.

“Go ahead,” she said arrogantly.

“The police station is two blocks that way. Report me if you want. Let’s see whose name ends up trending afterward.”

She was far too confident. Far too fearless.

And that confidence came from Lorenzo.

“As far as I know,” I said, my voice barely steady, “you and Mr. De Luca weren’t even officially an item.”

“So tell me, what exactly gives you the right to barge into my home?”

“My right?” She laughed as if I’d told the funniest joke she’d ever heard.

“Back then, he nearly got himself killed racing across the Brooklyn Bridge during a storm just to chase after me. Tell me, what kind of title do I need?”

Then she smirked.

“You know why he made such a show of keeping you around? It was never about you.”

“He was putting on a performance—for me. Trying to force me to give in.”

She clicked her tongue dismissively.

“Did you really think he liked obedient girls?”

My fingers curled tightly into my palms.

I forced a cold smile and threw it back at her.

“But I’m carrying his child. Do you really think he’ll ignore that?”

Sienna burst out laughing, clearly amused.

“You can’t seriously believe a baby gives you leverage over him.”

Her voice was light. Her gaze drifted to the slight curve of my stomach.

“Before I came back to New York, he called me.”

She paused, letting it sink in.

“He told me that if I was willing to come back to him, he could get rid of the baby.”

The color drained from my face.

Seeing my reaction only made her smile wider.

“But what if I don’t give in?” she asked casually.

“Tell me, Miss West—if one of my bodyguards gets a little careless next time… or if I just so happen to bump into you…”

“Do you think Lorenzo would blame me for going too far?”

Her eyes dropped to my stomach.

“Or would he blame your baby for being in the way?”

The setting sun streamed through the windows.

Golden light filled the room, illuminating the certainty in her eyes.

The words caught in my throat.

She carried herself with absolute confidence. The confidence of someone who already knew she had won.

Something I knew I’d never possess.

Even after five years by Lorenzo’s side, I’d never really known where I stood with him.

Just like that first time we met—his eyes were never on me. They were on the shadow of Sienna he saw in me.

As for why he picked me after that… Maybe he just wanted to prove he was over the fiery woman who’d broken his heart.

And if all he needed was a child, what difference did it make who carried it?

Why should I be the one to wade into that mess?