Ishani wasn’t overthinking it.
Nope. Definitely not.
It was a perfectly normal thing for your boss to drag you onto a moonlit balcony and ask you to play junior detective. Nothing weird at all.
Except it was totally weird, and her brain refused to shut up about it.
By the time the event wrapped up and she collapsed into her bed at the hotel, her mind was still buzzing. Why did Dante want her to watch for suspicious people? And more importantly—why trust her of all people?
“I’m not even qualified for spy duties,” she muttered to herself, kicking off her heels. “I barely survived my last math exam. What does he think I’m gonna do? Decode secret messages in the hors d’oeuvres?”
Still, she couldn’t deny the thrill curling in her stomach. There was something about Dante Valenti—something sharp, dangerous, and… okay, she wasn’t gonna finish that thought. She had enough problems.
The Morning After
Ishani dragged herself to the conference hall the next morning, bleary-eyed but determined not to screw up. No broken glasses today, thank you very much.
She was in the middle of rearranging floral centerpieces—because rich people apparently couldn’t function without extravagant roses—when a familiar voice cut through the air.
“Morning, sunshine.”
Ishani sighed without turning. “Luca, it’s too early for your nonsense.”
“You wound me,” he said, hand over his heart. “I brought you coffee, by the way. You’re welcome.”
She spun around, eyeing the cup warily. “Wait… why?”
Luca grinned. “What? A guy can’t do a kind deed without being interrogated? You seem like a ‘triple-shot-espresso-to-survive-my-job’ kind of girl.”
She narrowed her eyes, snatching the cup from his hand. “If this is poison, I’m haunting you.”
“Duly noted.” He leaned against the table, watching her sip the coffee with an obnoxious amount of interest. “So, did you figure out why Mr. Tall, Dark, and Terrifying wanted to chat last night?”
Ishani nearly choked. “Would you stop calling him that?”
“What? It’s accurate.” Luca’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “And admit it—you’re curious about him.”
“No, I’m curious about why he’s curious about me,” she corrected, setting the coffee down. “Big difference.”
Luca tilted his head. “Well, you’re not boring. Maybe that’s why.”
Ishani snorted. “Right. Because I’m sure a guy like him is just dying for chaotic energy in his life.”
Before Luca could respond, the air shifted.
And Ishani didn’t need to turn around to know why.
Enter the Bossman
Dante Valenti walked into the hall, the kind of man who commanded attention without trying. Black tailored suit. Impossibly crisp white shirt. His usual scowl firmly in place.
Everyone seemed to straighten in his presence—like even the chandeliers felt the need to behave.
“Good morning, Mr. Valenti,” she greeted, keeping her voice light because she absolutely refused to let him intimidate her.
Dante’s gaze swept over her before landing on the coffee cup in her hand. “You’re late.”
Ishani blinked. “Uh… It’s 7:59.”
His eyebrow arched—a whole conversation in one judgmental lift.
“Noted,” she muttered under her breath.
Luca, being the literal devil, chose that moment to chime in. “Relax, boss. I made sure she’s properly caffeinated.”
For a split second, she thought she saw Dante’s jaw tighten. But maybe she imagined it. Probably. Hopefully.
“Follow me,” Dante said, turning on his heel without waiting for her response.
“See?” Luca whispered, giving her a playful nudge. “You’re his favorite.”
“Shut up,” she hissed before hurrying after her broody boss.
Mission: Try Not to Die
Dante led her to a sleek private office tucked away from the chaos of the conference. He gestured for her to sit while he leaned against the edge of the desk—an unfairly attractive power move, if you asked her.
“I need updates on the guest list,” he said, his voice cool and controlled. “Any discrepancies. Any names that stand out.”
Ishani frowned. “Okay, but, like, why?”
Dante’s eyes darkened, but she held his gaze. She wasn’t about to get spooked just because the man looked like he personally invented the concept of intimidation.
“Your job isn’t to ask questions,” he said quietly.
“Well, my job is also not to play Sherlock Holmes, but here we are,” she shot back.
For a long beat, silence stretched between them—thick and heavy. Then, unexpectedly, his lips curved. Not quite a smile. More like… amusement.
“Just do as you’re told,” he said.
“Yes, sir.” She saluted him mockingly. “Anything else? Want me to interrogate the flower guy? Maybe the DJ is secretly an assassin.”
“I doubt it,” Dante drawled, standing to his full height. “You’d be the first to know if he was.”
And with that cryptic little bomb, he turned and walked out—leaving her equal parts confused and weirdly intrigued.
The Luca Problem
She found Luca waiting in the hallway, as if he had nothing better to do than be her personal menace.
“You survived,” he said, clapping a hand over his heart. “I’m so proud.”
“I’m two seconds away from throwing this coffee at you,” Ishani muttered.
“Admit it,” Luca grinned. “You like working here.”
“Oh, totally,” she deadpanned. “The constant fear for my life is super fun.”
Luca laughed, walking backward as he spoke. “Careful, sweetheart. Around here, curiosity kills more than just the cat.”
His words sent a chill down her spine—because she had the sneaking suspicion that this was only the beginning.
TBC.
(If Ishani ever gets kidnapped, I’m 90% sure she’d spend the entire time roasting her captors. Icon behavior.)
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