Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask

Chapter 503: Chapter 99 Double the Stakes

Claire’s POV

The summer heat was suffocating as I dragged myself home from the family’s private chapel service, my silk blouse clinging uncomfortably to my skin. All I craved was a cold shower and an iced martini to wash away the day’s exhaustion. Playing the part of the grieving mafia widow whose husband had vanished into witness protection was a performance that drained every ounce of my energy. Listening to endless condolences from the other family wives about my "coward" husband Nathaniel who had fled rather than face the Commission’s judgment was tedious beyond measure. Truth be told, his disappearance had been a blessing. I had grown sick of his weak leadership long ago, but maintaining the facade of a devastated Don’s wife was essential for preserving my position in the Sullivan organization.

"Tessa! Where the hell are you, Tessa?" I barked for my housekeeper, annoyed by her typical sluggishness.

She eventually emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands nervously on her apron. The woman had served our famiglia for decades but still moved like she was walking through a minefield. "Yes, Mrs. Sullivan?"

"Where’s Justin?"

"He’s sleeping, ma’am. Had his afternoon rest after the tutoring session."

"Get me something cold before I collapse from this heat." The housekeeper hurried away, returning shortly with a crystal tumbler filled with ice and premium vodka. I noticed her anxious expression as she placed the drink in my hands. "Speak up, Tessa. What’s eating at you now?"

"Ma’am, your stepson Beckett came by earlier today."

My blood turned to ice in an instant. "What was that ungrateful bastard doing in my home? Did you actually allow him inside?" I had explicitly forbidden that dangerous man from entering my territory. Even after Lila’s escape to the city, he hadn’t dared show his face here - until today.

"Ma’am, I couldn’t refuse him entry. He walked right in saying he needed to wait for you, then ordered espresso like he owned the place..."

"You left that snake alone in my house? Are you completely out of your mind?"

"Ma’am, he demanded coffee, so I went to prepare it. When I returned, that arrogant man spat it out and complained it wasn’t up to famiglia standards." Tessa’s weathered face twisted with wounded pride.

"Well, your espresso is garbage compared to what they serve at the social clubs," I had to admit. "Did he go anywhere else in the house?"

"He used the private study’s washroom, ma’am."

"And you permitted that too? Worthless woman!"

"When I brought the coffee service, he was already coming down from upstairs. Said he’d used the facilities. I never even saw him go up there, ma’am."

"Madonna mia, you’re useless! Get out of my sight before I throw this glass at your empty head."

She scurried away like a frightened mouse, leaving me to contemplate Beckett’s unexpected reconnaissance mission. What intelligence was he gathering in my private quarters?

The front gate’s security buzzer interrupted my brooding. Tessa rushed past me toward the reinforced entrance. So much for my plans of relaxation and strategizing - disrupted once again by unwanted intrusions.

"Good afternoon, Claire!" Connor’s gravelly voice boomed through the marble foyer. His presence at my family compound was highly irregular - he and Nathaniel had maintained an uneasy business relationship at best, never social calls.

"Connor? What brings the casino king to my humble residence?" I asked, genuinely puzzled by this parade of unexpected male visitors to my domain.

"Just dropping by for a friendly chat about our mutual business venture." Perfect - this ruthless old bastard was probably here to renegotiate our agreement regarding his worthless son’s engagement to Lila.

"I already assured you I’ll retrieve the girl from her little rebellion. Don’t concern yourself with the details."

"Oh, I’m not worried one bit. I know your reputation well enough to trust you’ll deliver results. But we need to discuss modifying the terms of our arrangement." My jaw clenched involuntarily - he’d better not be contemplating reducing my agreed-upon compensation.

"Don’t even consider offering me less than what we handshook on, Connor."

"You know, Claire, I had the pleasure of meeting Lila personally. Quite an enlightening conversation."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"I took a business trip to the city to assess our investment opportunities firsthand. That girl is absolutely breathtaking - a genuine beauty worthy of renaissance paintings. You know who she reminds me of, Claire?" I knew precisely where this dangerous conversation was heading, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledgment.

"I haven’t the slightest clue what you mean." I maintained my poker face while my mind raced. That cunning Lila had indeed transformed since establishing herself in the urban famiglia networks, and her resemblance to... the previous donna... was becoming undeniable.

"Oh, I believe you understand perfectly. What’s fascinating is how your late husband and stepson failed to notice the obvious similarities. I suspect we won’t even require those DNA tests to confirm our suspicions."

"What exactly are you insinuating, Connor?"

"You grasp the implications completely. Remember, I provided crucial assistance during that delicate situation long ago."

"Yes, and I’ve repaid that favor with substantial interest over the decades."

"Perhaps not quite substantial enough. Had I understood then what I comprehend now, my price would have been considerably steeper."

"State your demands plainly, Connor. My son is resting, and I prefer he doesn’t discover you here."

"Your little prince is every bit as pathetic as my own offspring."

Connor chuckled darkly, knowing his words would provoke my maternal fury.

"Of course he appears weak - he’s been corrupted by your son’s influence, hasn’t he? But my Justin has a mother who fights ruthlessly for his inheritance and protects his famiglia interests." I wouldn’t tolerate him disparaging my bloodline.

"Such a devoted mother!" Connor’s laughter carried a sinister undertone. "Here’s my revised proposal, Claire. You have a short time to bring the girl back to our territory. But she won’t be marrying my disappointment of a son - she’ll become my wife."

"Your wife?" Despite knowing Lila would suffer under an elderly husband’s control, Connor would provide her with luxury and security, unlike his sadistic son who was notorious for brutalizing women. "Our original contract specified marriage to your heir."

"Come now, Claire! Whether she marries me or my boy is irrelevant to your bottom line. What matters is your payment, which I’ll double if she becomes my bride instead." The calculating old wolf’s offer was genuinely tempting.

"Double the agreed amount? Was she truly that impressive during your evaluation?"

I found it intriguing that Connor, who had remained a widower for years and spurned all marriage proposals from ambitious famiglia daughters, would suddenly make this unprecedented offer.

"Double and not a single dollar more. Don’t attempt to extort additional concessions from me." His warning carried the weight of decades in the underworld, and knowing his reputation for extreme measures, accepting gracefully seemed the wisest course.

"Agreed. Within a short time, that ungrateful brat belongs to you. Do whatever pleases you with her." The revised deal strongly favored my interests.

"You truly despise her, don’t you?" Connor studied me with the fascination of a predator examining wounded prey.

"She humiliated me by abandoning her famiglia obligations, Connor. She requires proper discipline and punishment." That was all the explanation this dangerous man would extract from me. "Now leave my home. I’ll contact you when developments warrant communication."

Connor departed, his laughter echoing with an almost disturbing satisfaction. I grabbed my designer purse - time to pay that scheming pest Beckett an unexpected visit at the family’s legitimate business headquarters.

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