Rio's POV
I loosened my tie with a sigh, swirling the whiskey in my hand. God, I hate paperwork. I'm not even supposed to be doing this crap. But my assistant's gone-recently fired after losing important documents because she couldn't keep her head on straight.
It wasn't the first time, but this time... I didn't let it slide.
She had this bad habit of gawking at me instead of working, always trying to seduce me. She failed miserably. Yeah, I slept with her once-two years ago, in the bathroom. A stress release, nothing more. She offered, I took. That was the end of it.
I unbutton a few top buttons of my shirt. Sighing in relief I downed the whisky on my hand .
Shifting in my leather chair, my gaze dropped to the wound in my stomach. Healing well. The person who stabbed me? Dead. But the one who stitched me up... she's still burned into my thoughts. I don't even know her name.
Yet.
I just stambled into the first door I saw after I got stabbed .
All I can remember are her soft hands, the sting of the needle, those piercing blue eyes locked on mine while she worked on her knees. I wonder how she'd look when-
The door swung open. Mariana, my little sister, breezed in like she owned the place. She'd been helping me out since I fired my assistant, promising to find me a replacement.
"I think I found just the person," she said, smiling as she sank into the red velvet chair across from me.
She slid a file across my desk. "Elena Rosa."
I opened it-and my heart stopped. The photo was simple, just a passport shot, but she was stunning. Even so, the camera didn't do her justice she looked even more beautiful in person than she did on this picture.
Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, two strands framing her face. Diamond earrings, a delicate silver necklace. A crisp white blouse hugged her frame, her breasts pushed up just enough to make my throat dry.
My mind flashed back to the store. Her arms crossed over her chest. That smile. Those eyes.
"What do you think? Have you gone over her details? Does she fit?" Mariana's voice cut through my haze.
I nodded without reading a single thing beyond her name. I trusted my sister's judgment-this was her choice, her recommendation.
"She starts Monday," I said. "Fresh week. You'll run her through the paperwork and expectations."
Mariana grinned. "Finally. I'll email her tonight-get this mountain of crap off my shoulders." She wandered to the minibar, pouring herself a drink.
But my mind was already gone again. Back to her.
I don't like how Elena makes me feel. I've only seen her twice, and she's already lodged herself under my skin. Her hands on me. Her lashes brushing her cheeks as she looked up. Her determination to help a stranger, even one as rude as me.
I've never been interested in women beyond the physical. One-night stands, quick fucks, no strings attached. Mariana likes to joke that I'm gay-not true. I love women. I just don't care enough to keep one.
Until Elena.
And now she's walking right into my world.
Which means I have two options:
Have her-because I always get what I want-or burn her out of my system by making her hate me. Strictly business. No softness, no warmth. I'll be cold. I'll be cruel. I'll break her.
"Are you even listening to me?" Mariana's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. A book hit my desk.
"Sorry, what?"
"We're going out tonight-Elijah, Zoey, Chris, Mark. New club in town."
I considered saying no, but the thought of my sister alone with those idiots didn't sit right.
"Fine. What time?"
"I'll text you." She kissed my cheek on the way out.
The office was quiet again. My gaze fell back to Elena's photo for the hundredth time.
"Elena Rosa," I whispered, tasting her name like it was something forbidden. She didn't belong in this world. People saw a family business-what they didn't see was the darkness beneath.
The Mariano family isn't just powerful in New York. We rule in Italy. Russia. Everywhere. And I can't let her slip under my skin.
The way she got in is the way she'll get out.
Being soft or worse falling for her will make me weak . And I don't do weeknesses.
I groan, slamming her file shut as I stared into nothing.
I can't get her out of my system.
I'll try .
But I have a feeling I'll fail miserably.