Valentina's pov
The restaurant had mostly cleared out. I had just changed out of my uniform, my shift had ended, but my heart hadn't stopped racing since those strange men left. Something about the way my boss, Mr. Williams, acted around them felt… off. He was nervous, jittery, almost like he owed them something.
I was wiping down the last table when his voice echoed through the empty restaurant.
"Valentina! My office. Now."
My stomach dropped. I glanced at the clock—it was past 10. What could be so urgent?
I stepped inside. He didn't say a word. Just pointed to the seat in front of his desk. I sat, unsure.
Wordlessly he slid a folder across the table toward me.
It was the terms of agreement between him and probably the men in suit that just left, then something else on the page caught my eyes.
On one column there was the requirements and terms that each company had to provide.
MorLux international, the one owned by the Morreti's Group, had to give the normal things like IP, assets, stuffs like that
But then there was something else there that caught my attention, written there at the bottom next to "assumed contracts"
Something in elegant and demanding handwriting
The waitress will work for MorLux international immediately
My eyes shot up, looking from the paper to my boss— A slow and sick grin started to spread across his face. I was part of the bargain. I was part of the reason why the Morreti's Group agreed to work with La Bellezza
"What's this?" I asked, as I picked it my voice barely above a whisper.
"A job offer," he said, almost too calmly.
I blinked. "I don't understand. I didn't apply for another job."
Mr. Williams leaned back. "This this perfect" he exclaimed, clapping his meaty hands.
I gave him a look " how exactly is this "perfect"? "
"It's just temporary you'll get a real paycheck, plus a $10,000 bonus from me—just for saying yes."
"As a spy?" I whispered
He didn't deny. just smiled.
I laughed. Literally laughed. "You must be joking."
"I'm not."
"Why? When did I ask for a transfer? Is this a punishment or—"
"It's an opportunity."
I crossed my arms. "For who? You or me?"
He leaned back in his chair, lips twitching. "Both."
"No," I said sharply. "You made a deal without asking me. You just… threw me in like a bonus item in a shopping cart."
He smirked. "Don't be dramatic."
"You're using me."
"Then let me make it worth your while."
I paused.
He reached into the drawer and slid an envelope across the desk. "Ten thousand dollars."
My heart skipped. "What?"
"Upfront," he said. "You'll also be paid by Alessandro's company. This is just… a signing bonus. And you'll be signing a contract—right here, right now."
I stared at the envelope, unmoving.
"This isn't just any job, Valentina," he went on. "Alessandro is building something big. I need someone on the inside. Someone I trust. You'll be my eyes, my ears. If you do this right, you won't need to serve tables again."
I clenched my jaw. "So I'm a spy now?"
He smiled like that was the most reasonable thing in the world.
"You're an investment."
"And if I say no?"
He leaned forward. "Then you walk out of here with nothing. And trust me—opportunities like this don't circle back."
My chest rose and fell, heat burning in my throat. It felt wrong. All of it. But…
Ten thousand dollars. A real job. A future I couldn't even imagine.
And just like that, I was stuck.
Not trapped—but not free either.
I picked up the pen.
I could just walk out. But then ten thousand dollars sat right in front of me — and my mom's unpaid bills, my college bills flashed through my mind.
I picked up the pen.
Then I signed.
He turned his cold eyes on me, but this time they were alight with excitement. A terrifying kind of excitement
"Now, Valentina," he said, "you will help me take MorLux international down. "