LUCY
It took every ounce in me to agree.
I followed his assistant down a long hallway until we stopped at a large wooden door. The assistant gave me a quick smile before opening it.
"This way, please," he said softly, then walked away and left me alone.
I stepped inside and gently closed the door behind me. Lorenzo's office was exactly what I imagined; huge, dark walls, tall shelves filled with books, a large window behind his desk showing nothing but black sky. The kind of place powerful men sat and played with people's futures like a chess game.
Lorenzo was standing by his desk, hands in his pockets, staring straight at me. His eyes moved slowly from my head to my feet, studying me like I was a painting on display. No compliments, no greetings, and it wasn't like I expected it anyway.
Finally, he spoke. "I didn't think you'd actually show up."
I gave him a small smile. "Well… I heard you don't take no for an answer. Figured I was just saving myself from your dagger."
For the first time since I met him, something shifted on his face. First, a small smile... so small that I thought I was only imagining it. Then that smile turned into a smirk. It was the kind of smirk that made my stomach twist in the worst way.
"I like that," he said softly. "I love that you learn quickly."
He left his desk and started walking toward me. My heart picked up speed. I didn't show it on my face, but I felt it beating like a warning bell in my chest. I took a step back, but he kept coming closer.
Another step back.
He didn't stop until we were standing almost chest to chest, just an inch between us. "Do you know why I chose you, Miss Parker?" His voice was even lower now.
I looked up at him and forced myself to stay calm. "Because I'm the best lawyer you can afford."
That made him laugh, allmost like I told a private joke only he understood. "No," he said finally. "Because you don't scare easy."
I crossed my arms, hoping it would stop my hands from shaking. "I don't work for criminals, Mr. Carcaterra."
His eyes darkened. That smirk grew wider, more wickedly. The kind of smirk that made you question every choice that brought you here.
"Sadly for you…" he said slowly, "those terms will be changing."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He leaned even closer. "Because starting now… you'll be working for me."
For a second, I just stood there, staring at him, trying to understand if I heard him right. Working for him, he says?
I shook my head slightly. "That's not going to happen."
"It is," he said simply, like it was already a done deal. "And whether you like it or not, you've already stepped into my world."
I hated the way he said 'my world'. Like it was something dark, something people didn't walk out of once they entered.
"You can't just decide that," I said firmly. "I don't belong to you."
His smile was soft, but dangerous. "Not yet."
I wanted to slap that smirk off his face, but I also knew that in this room, with this man, one wrong move could open a door I wasn't ready to walk through.
I kept my chin up and my voice steady. "With all due respect, Mr. Carcaterra," I said quietly, "I don't take threats lightly. And I certainly don't take jobs from men who believe they can buy people."
That smile finally dropped. His eyes didn't blink. "Threat?" he repeated softly, like I'd just told him something amusing. "You mistake me, Miss Parker. I don't threaten. I offer… opportunities."
I didn't move an inch, even though everything in me wanted to run straight out of that office. "I don't need opportunities from people like you."
"That's the problem with you lawyers," he said with that lazy smirk, slowly circling around me now, like a lion sizing up its meal. "You all believe you're standing on some high ground, like the world isn't full of wolves ready to eat you alive."
I swallowed hard. "I've survived just fine."
He leaned close to my ear, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That was before you stepped into my world."
For a second, I won't lie, I lost my words. It wasn't just what he said, it was how he said it. Like he owned the ground I was standing on. Like walking away wouldn't be as simple as turning around and heading for the door.
But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of fear.
I turned slightly, facing him fully. "What exactly do you want from me?"
He studied me again, quiet for a heartbeat. "Protection. Guidance. Loyalty."
I scoffed. "You have bodyguards for protection, you have money for guidance, and you don't deserve loyalty."
His eyes narrowed just slightly, but that same smile remained. "Yet you defended me today."
"That was the law," I snapped back. "I don't defend people. I defend justice. You were innocent of that charge, that's all. I don't belong to you."
He looked at me. "Not yet."
That "yet" was the sharpest thing I'd heard all night.
"Why me?" I pushed. "What's stopping you from hiring one of those desperate, sell-their-soul lawyers crawling around this city?"
His lips curved again. "Because they obey out of fear or greed. You obey because you're smart. And I like smart people."
I hated how my heart skipped at his words. Not because I was flattered, but because I was getting dragged into something deeper than I wanted. I could feel it.
"I'm not yours," I whispered sharply.
He leaned closer again. "Not yet," he repeated, lower this time. "But you will be. Sooner or later, everyone in this city works for someone. I just came early."
A soft knock interrupted the moment. His assistant peeked through the door.
"Sir. They're asking for you."
Lorenzo's eyes didn't leave mine. "Tell them I'll be out shortly."
The assistant nodded and disappeared.
I exhaled, steadying myself. "I'm not your employee, Mr. Carcaterra. I came here out of respect for the invitation. Don't confuse my presence for submission."
He smiled like I'd just told him his favorite joke. "That's what makes this so fun."
I turned toward the door. "We're done here."
As I reached for the handle, his voice stopped me.
"You'll come back," he said. "Not because I forced you, but because when the wolves start circling, you'll remember, I'm the only one who knows how to bite harder."
I didn't respond. I did
n't even glance back. But I couldn't lie to myself, the moment I stepped out of that office, my legs were shaking.