The Mafia Boss' Heart

CHAPTER 5

HAZE took a deep breath after she closed the bathroom door. She had just come out from the shower. She and Janine shared the same room, but Janine was already asleep. She went straight to her bed and lay down. That was close. She thought. Ipinikit niya ang kaniyang mata. She had clearly remembered what happened earlier, but suddenly the face of the man who saved her entered her mind. Nagmulat ng mata si Haze at nagtaka.

“That man… why did he come into my mind?” Nagtatakang tanong ni Haze sa mismong sarili.

Muli niyang ipinikit ang kaniyang mata. Earlier in the alley, she didn’t know what happened after she closed her eyes, but the man was unharmed and when she opened her eyes, it was only the two of them who were left in that alley.

“Rafael Nicolo Parisi,” Haze muttered. It was unbelievable for her that she actually remembered the man’s name even though she had only met him once.

Napailing si Haze. She got up from bed and went to the kitchen. Nagtimpla siya ng gatas at nanatili sa kusina. The accident that happened earlier was still lingering in her mind. And that man, his face, kept popping into her mind, and she didn’t know why.

She didn’t tell Janine what had happened and why she disappeared while they were strolling around. She had just told Janine that she had been lost and separated. Fortunately, Janine believed her lies or else, she had some explaining to do.

Pagkatapos ubusin ni Haze ang tinimplang gatas, bumalik siya sa kwarto at natulog. Pero hindi siya makatulog. It took her too long before she was able to sleep, which is why she woke up late the next morning. Katulad niya, late rin na nagising si Janine.

Janine yawned. “Inaantok pa ako.” Anito.

Ngumiti naman si Haze. “Bumangon ka na.” Hinila niya si Janine para bumangon.

Janine yawned again and this time, muli niyang ibinagsak ang sarili sa kama. “I’m still sleepy. Let me sleep for five more minutes.”

Napailing na lamang si Haze saka pumasok sa loob ng banyo. She did her morning routine and took a bath. Pagkatapos niyang naligo, lumabas siya ng banyo at nakita niya pa ring nakahiga sa kama si Janine. She sighed and walked towards Janine. She didn’t have a choice but forcefully pulls Janine to wake her up.

“Wake up, Janine. Our boss has told us that she would take us somewhere to eat for breakfast,” said Haze.

Janine groaned and opened her eyes. “You're heartless.”

Haze just smiled, uncaring how Janine called her heartless. “Bumangon ka na, sleeping beauty.” Then she walked towards her suitcase and picked up a shirt and jeans. She glanced at Janine, she smiled when she saw her entering the bathroom.

After Haze got dressed, lumabas siya ng kwarto saka pumunta sa kusina. She saw her boss sipping her coffee while reading something on her phone.

“Morning, Boss,” she greeted.

Grace, Haze’s boss, looked up and smiled at Haze. “Morning too. Did you and Janine stay up late?” she asked.

Haze shook her head, lying about what really had happened. “Tired last night, Boss.”

Napatango si Grace. “Let’s wait for Janine, then we will go to the restaurant. I have already reserved some spots for us.”

Haze smiled, “thank you, boss,” she said to her boss, and made coffee for herself. Thirty minutes later, they headed to the restaurant and had a pleasant breakfast in one of the famous restaurants in Italy. While eating, Haze noticed someone inside the restaurant. She didn’t want to think it was him, but at the back of her mind, a name was appearing in her mind.

“Who are you looking at?” tanong ni Janine at uminom ng tubig.

Tumingin si Haze kay Janine saka umiling. “Nothing.”

Ngumiti si Grace dahil sa dalawa. “You two, sulitin niyo na ang pagkakataon na ‘to. Go to the place you want, but I can’t accompany you. I have to go somewhere later. Do your thing.”

“Thanks, Boss.” Haze and Janine said happily.

Tumango si Grace.

After they ate breakfast, the three of them separated. Grace went to her own business while Haze and Janine went to do their own thing.

But Grace didn’t leave the restaurant. After Haze and Janine left, she went to the other corner of the restaurant where a familiar man was sitting comfortably and eating breakfast.

“You’re here,” Grace said to the man who was sitting at the corner of the restaurant as if he was hiding from the cops. “You looked like you were hiding from the cops.”

Humarap sa kaniya ang lalaki saka ngumiti. “Here you are.” Then he shook his head. “I’m not hiding from the police. I’m hiding from the scouts. I’m too handsome to be noticed by talent scouts.”

Grace clicked her tongue as she rolled her eyes, and sat in the empty seat on the other side of the table. “You really need to learn how to cook yourself. Or you have to find a wife, so someone will cook breakfast for you.”

The man chuckled. “Are you here to lecture me? You’re not my mother.”

Umikot ang mata ni Grace. “Well, I’m your elder cousin, Rafael Nicolo Parisi. Moreover, Aunt Nikola permitted me to scold you,” she said, raising one of her eyebrows. Proud of herself.

Nginitian ni Nicolo ang pinsan. “Why don’t you stay in the mansion?” he offered. “Mom will be happy to see you.”

“No,” umiling si Grace. “I’m with my two employees. I can’t possibly let them be harmed by you.”

Nicolo’s eyes widened upon hearing what his cousin had said. He didn’t expect that his cousin, Grace, would think of him like that. “I’m not a womanizer.”

Grace sneered. “What do I know? I don’t know what was on your mind. People changed, Rafael Nicolo.”

Nicolo frowned. “Just Nicolo. Removed the Rafael. You sounded like my mother when she was scolding me, cousin.”

“Earlier, I noticed that you were looking at my employees. Which of them?” Grace asked as she narrowed her eyes to Nicolo. “I’m telling you, Nicolo. You will taste my bad side if you harm any of them. They’re sweet and nice girls. I value them.”

“You sounded like I was going to harm them,” napailing si Nicolo. Uminom siya ng tubig, then he placed the glass in front of him. Tumingin siya sa pinsan. “She caught my attention.”

Grace raised one of her eyebrows. “Who?”

Nicolo smiled. “Haze.”

Grace frowned. “How did you know her name?” She instantly became worried after knowing that Nicolo knew Haze’s name. She knew that Nicolo was part of the Mafia Organization. Her family was one of the Parisi supporters in the Madia organization, but she didn’t want to get involved, so she married far away in the Philippines to get away from the Mafia world. Kumuyom ang kamay niya dahil sa pag-aalala. The mafia can do anything to get what they want. And it was dangerous to be around the Mafia people.

“Don’t worry, I won’t harm her,” Nicolo said to assure her cousin. “I just happened to save her last night.”

Grace frowned even more. “What do you mean?” tanong niya. “Last night?” Walang sinasabi sa kaniya si Janine at Haze.

Nicolo sighed. “She happened to be kidnapped by some thugs and I saved her. Grace, I’m going to confess to you. This is the first time that someone has caught my attention. So, I hope that you won’t think something below the belt. I promise I won’t harm her or force her.”

“Wait. Stop.” Itinaas ni Grace ang kamay. “Nicolo, do you hear what you are saying?”

Nicolo smiled. “I know what I am saying and doing, Grace. Haze has caught my attention and yes, I’m attracted to her.”

Grace sighed. “We will only be here for two weeks.”

Nicolo froze for a moment, then he smiled a little. “I think I can do it in two weeks.”

“Nicolo, you can’t get to know Haze in two weeks. She is a reserved person, and she doesn’t like to talk with men. I heard from Janine that she was not comfortable with men, though many men in my husband’s company tried to court her. She also likes to be alone.”

Nicolo frowned. Unhappy with what he had heard.

Natawa naman si Grace dahil sa ekspresyon ni Nicolo. “Don’t make a face like that. Haze is not yours. Anyway, I’m going back to the hotel. I have to call my husband.” She stood up and pointed to Nicolo. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Nicolo waved his hand. “Bye.”

After Grace left, Nicolo sighed heavily. Until now, he still didn’t know how to approach Haze. Grace was right, and he observed that Haze was indeed a reserved person, and she didn’t trust people easily. He had already seen it when he met Haze.

“Young Master,” Alonzo approached him and sat in front of him.

“What is it?” tanong ni Nicolo. “If it’s about the company, I know, I have a meeting later with the board.”

“Young Master, it’s not about the company. It’s about the Mafia. Master wants you to escort the goods,” said Alonzo. The Master he mentioned was Nicolo’s father. The head of the Parisi Family. “And this trip might be dangerous. Our people are now under your orders.”

“I thought it would be my father that would accompany the goods.” Napabuntong hininga siya. “Where’s Alessio?”

“He went back to the company to ready the papers you need for the meeting later.”

Tumango si Nicolo. “Alright,” he stood up. “I’ll accompany the goods later. You and Alessio will accompany me."

Alonzo bowed his head. “Yes, Young Master.”

Nicolo left the restaurant with Alonzo, and they went to the company.