LAUREL P.O.V
If somebody had told me one month ago that I would be walking into a mafia boss's bedroom at midnight like a kidnapped side character in a badly written romance movie.
I would have laughed.
Now?
I was living it.
The hallways were silent, the golden lights dimmed low enough to make every shadow look alive. My heartbeat sounded louder than my footsteps as I walked toward Alpha's room.
I shouldn't have come to his door.
I should have stayed back.
But in this place, refusing Alpha was more dangerous than facing him.
So I kept walking.
When I finally stood in front of his door, my hands trembled slightly.
I clenched them immediately.
Look confident.
Even if I was terrified inside.
I raised my hand and knocked softly.
No answer.
I knocked again.
Then suddenly,the door clicked open slowly by itself.
I nearly screamed,but my throat tightened.
Why did rich people in mafia stories always have dramatic doors that moved like haunted mansion entrances?
I swallowed nervously and stepped inside carefully.
The room was enormous. Dark wine-coloured curtains covered the glass walls, city lights glowing faintly behind them. The air smelled expensive-wood polish, whiskey, and danger.
The room looked illegal.
That was the only way to explain it.
Huge chandeliers.
Dark expensive furniture.
A fireplace bigger than my entire childhood bedroom.
And there, in the middle of all the luxury and terror, was Alpha.
I saw him half-reclined on the massive bed, wearing only a wine-coloured robe loosely tied around his waist.He was lying lazily on the bed like some retired villain from a billionaire horror movie.
And honestly?
The scar near his eye made him look even more terrifying and darker under the dim lights.
Like he fought crocodiles for fun.
He stared at me calmly like a lion watching something it hadn't decided whether to eat or spare.
"Come sit" He said.
My spirit immediately disconnected from my body.
"No" my brain whispered.
"Yes" My legs betrayed me.
I took one tiny step forward.
Then, I stopped again.
Actually...no.
I liked living.
I stayed exactly where I was.
Near the entrance.
Far away from him.
"I'm okay here" I said quickly.
He sighed. "You fear me too much"
Because you look like you eat people for breakfast, I thought.
Instead, I forced a polite smile.
"I'm comfortable here"
"No" He replied calmly. "You're shaking"
Before I could answer, he stood up.
Oh no.
OH NO.
Why is he walking toward me like a panther in a wildlife documentary?
Slowly.
Confidently.
Like he already knew I couldn't escape.
My breath caught when he stopped right in front of me.
Too close.
Way too close.
I could literally count his eyelashes.
The bridge of my nose almost touched his.
I tried leaning back slightly-
But before I could move,his hand suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me against him.
I gasped so loudly that even I got embarrassed.
My soul almost left my body.
"Alpha-"
"You talk too much" He murmured. "You look too nervous"
Of course I'm nervous.
You look like you strangle people recreationally.
Instead, I forced a smile so fake it deserved an acting award.
He leaned closer.
Panic exploded inside me.
Think, Laurel. THINK.
"I haven't freshened up yet!" I blurted quickly.
He paused.
"I don't care"
"I do!" I blurted immediately.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
I started panicking internally.
Think, Laurel. THINK FAST.
"What if I smell bad?"
There was a quick silence.
Alpha blinked once. "...What?"
"I cleaned the kitchen" I lied dramatically. "One maid spilled fish sauce on me"
The silence became personal.
Even Alpha looked offended.
"You smell like fish?" He asked slowly.
I nodded sadly. "Very expensive fish"
Alpha immediately loosened his grip slightly.
Inside my head, fireworks exploded.
YES.
VICTORY.
But then he leaned closer again. "I still don't care"
This man was impossible.
I smiled nervously. "What if I smell like cleaning chemicals?"
He stared at me.
I stared back.
"...You cleaned the west wing today?" He asked suspiciously.
"Yes!" I lied dramatically. "My whole life smells like detergent right now"
Silence took over again.
Alpha's expression slowly twisted into visible disappointment.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Instead, I added softly, "You deserve better than bleach fumes"
That seemed to hit his ego perfectly.
His grip loosened slightly.
Good.
Very good.
But then he leaned close once again.
"I can wait five minutes"
NO.
Absolutely not.
I smiled quickly. "What if we make it...memorable?"
His eyebrow lifted.
I internally congratulated myself for sounding smarter than I felt.
But Alpha suddenly smirked. "How?"
I gently touched the edge of his robe.
"We shower first"
The silence that followed was terrifying.
Then he smirked.
And I immediately regretted sounding intelligent.
"You're full of surprises"
No sir.
I was full of survival instincts.
A few minutes later, I was in the gigantic marble bathroom with him.
The bathroom alone was bigger than my old apartment back home.
Gold shower heads.
Marble floors.
Soft lighting.
Even the towels looked richer than me.
Steam curled through the air. Gold fixtures gleamed under warm lights. Everything looked luxurious enough to bankrupt a small country.
Meanwhile, I was trying not to faint from stress.
Alpha loosened his robe completely and tossed it aside carelessly.
I immediately looked away so fast my neck almost snapped.
"Scared?" He asked amusedly.
"No" I lied.
"You are sweating"
"It's the hot water"
"There's no water running yet"
Damn.
He stepped closer and reached for my nightwear.
My survival instincts activated immediately.
I instantly moved backward.
"Wait!" I said quickly.
He stopped again,already getting suspicious. "What?"
I forced another sweet fake smile.
"I wanted to take off my clothes in your room first"
He frowned deeply. "...Why?"
Honestly?
I didn't know either.
But I had already started the lie, so now I had to finish it.
"For romance?" The confusion on his face nearly made me laugh,he looked so much like a man trying to solve mathematics against his will.
My brain scrambled for survival.
"Atmosphere?" He blinked slowly.
Honestly, even I didn't know what to say next.
But somehow it worked.
After a long silence, he sighed heavily and rubbed his jaw with frustration before finally nodding.
"Fine. Don't take long"
YES.
VICTORY.
I almost cried tears of joy.
Before leaving,I touched his chest dramatically like actresses in soap operas. "I'll surely come back"
"You better" The way he said it made my soul vibrate.
I walked toward the bathroom door slowly while trying not to sprint.
Before opening it, I turned back and smiled sweetly.
"I'd be back"
"Don't make me wait"
He sounded serious enough to make my spine shiver.
I stepped outside immediately.
And I locked the bathroom door immediately it shut behind me.
Then I grabbed the key and ran backward before the realization hit him.
There was silence for a few seconds.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then-
The doorknob rattled violently.
"Laurel"
His voice was dangerously calm.
Too calm.
I backed away faster.
"I think the lock is broken!" I shouted innocently.
"Laurel"
Still calm.
Which was somehow scarier.
"I'll call maintenance tomorrow!"
Another loud bang echoed from the door.
The rattling got louder.
I bit my lip hard to stop myself from laughing.
Because this terrifying mafia boss
This feared Alpha was trapped in his own luxury bathroom.
By me.
I adjusted my nightwear quickly and rushed out of the room with the bathroom key hidden tightly in my hand.
Behind the soundproof door,he was definitely speaking.
It's probably about ending my bloodline or threatening my ancestors.
But I couldn't hear anything clearly.
And honestly?
That made it even funnier.
For the first time since entering this nightmare,i smiled genuinely.
By the time I reached the maid's quarters, I was smiling like a criminal.
I felt powerful.
Terrified.
But powerful.
And somewhere upstairs,a mafia boss was probably still fighting for his life against a bathroom lock.