Love Game With The Billionaire

4: In the enemy’s den

Ethan.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jake chuckled without humor, making it unclear if he was serious or not.

"She probably doesn't even recognize my face from what her sister said. And if she does, I've got a plan for that," I said, cracking my neck.

We have tracked down Maya Sterling while she was in the plane to New York City. I have read everything I needed to know and trace her down to the shadowman because her father's identity was a sham. The name doesn't belong to anyone after I searched about it. Indeed the phantom.

Nothing is going to stop me from getting my hands on the beautiful lady. It doesn't matter if she has the most sexiest body I have ever seen. I am going to drag her down to Russia, tie her in the underground and feed on her fear of the unknown. I'm going to make it that merciless for her for humiliating me like that.

"Why would she want to work as a maid? She is great with her bachelor's degree and all." He said looking confused.

Oh, yeah. It was a week later now and Maya is desperately looking for a job because she made the mistake of not planning out her escape with enough money to feed herself and now she is short of cash.

She lives in a dingy apartment just to keep a low profile. She is waiting for her result from bar exams to pursue her career but for now, she will have to work with whatever she has. Her knowledge in the kitchen which was surprising. Girls growing up with her privilege don't work in the kitchen but she applied.

She was struggling and ended up at the employment agency, I was quick to contact them that any sort of job she wanted, I could offer her. The woman told me she was good with culinary skills so I hired her to work as my cook at my penthouse in Brooklyn.

"Her result isn't out yet and I will make sure to hold it back as long as I can. She isn't a maid, just a cook."

"Same thing. She will be working for you in your penthouse," he shrugged, not wanting to be corrected.

I am going to work from here and manage the mob at the same time. With our security company merged with law firm –all ways to keep the government and public away from our other business– in New York, I will be able to work from here too.

"Suit yourself. Dig deeper into that man that helped her escape." I narrow my eyes, remembering.

Whoever that man was, we need him in this more than my father let on. You never know if he is the shadowman himself. After seeing the CCTV camera, I was convinced he has something to do with her father.

"On it."

"She'll be here at any moment," I added, glancing at my MacBook, where Jake stared with those empty eyes like mine. Mafia does that to you.

"Make sure you don't get off track. She shouldn't be killed by any means. Keep your temper in check," he said then ended the FaceTime call.

Standing up, I adjusted my suit and descended the stairs, where I heard voices from the penthouse entrance. Guess the maids are welcoming her to her dead end. All in good time. An eye for an eye, I chant to keep my anger in check like Jake had said.

I don't want to put bullet through her head at first glance due to the fury of what her father had done to us and what she also did. We need her alive to get shadowman to surrender. If anything, we know he wanted her safe and that was why he sent her away with his wife instead of taking her.

Rounding the staircase, I found some maids gathered around a dark-haired girl without the maid's uniform. It was clear she was the one. My runaway fiancee. The shadowman's daughter. I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to act painfully punish her just as introduction to what awaits her.

"What's happening here?" I barked, startling the maids and Maya.

Mrs. James, the head of the maids, stepped forward. "Miss Amelia is here, sir."

The maids were hovering around one another fearfully and I meet each of their eyes to make sure they go along with the plan. I have changed my last name around here because of her. She doesn't have to know that I am a Caldwell or she'd run away. Not that I will let her this time around. She is in her f*****g death trap.

"Good morning, Mr. Volkov" she greeted, standing straight to show professionalism. Not needed.

Mr. Volkov is a family name, the one we use for all our companies out there. Not everyone knows that Volkov is related to Caldwell and that works to my advantage right now.

"Good morning, Miss Amelia. How good are you in the kitchen?" I dismissed the maids and Mrs. James then focus on Maya.

She is way more beautiful in reality and it'd be a waste to have this girl tied to a chair underground. Maybe I could have some fun while I am at it. I always love a good lay and Maya looks like someone I will enjoy. Since I don't have anything better, I will get her to my bed before I torture her. It is such a turn on. Nothing personal.

"Um, I'm very good at it, sir." She wring her fingers together.

"Do you have any working experience?" I ask even though I know she doesn't. It is good watching her squirm.

"No, sir."

"How can I be sure you won't burn down my kitchen?" I raise a brow in challenge.

"I won't." She sounded so sure which means she is right. I have read about her skills too. She is good.

"We shall see about that. The kitchen is yours Miss Amelia."

"Great. I'll make sure not to disappoint you with my skills, Mr. Volkov. If only you can wait for a quick breakfast," she said, glancing at her watch with a frown.

Oh, the way I am going to enjoy watching the life snuff out from her eyes. God, she is going to feel every emotion during that time. Even the god of death won't be able to save her. I will break her then mend her again, that will go on till she learns her lesson or her father surrenders as a forfeit. Even then, I know nothing will be left of her.

"I'd love to," I replied, and I wasn't lying, I want to corner her with questions but I need to meet with the board members after this while. "But I have a meeting in twenty minutes."

"Alright. Lunch then," she said, and I nodded before leaving the mansion.

I don't know how to f*****g act calm or charming when she is the daughter of the enemy. The one that jilted me at the altar and most of all, the one I want to torture to get to her father. I am usually not one to play games but with this, I think I will have to be sure she won't get a whiff of who I am or I will be back to square one again.

After my meeting with the board members, I went to my office and log into Maya's file where I am tracking all her movements and phone calls. So far, she hasn't been contacted by any of her family not that she has much left anyway. I have her mother and sister followed everywhere they go, especially the mother. I don't want to miss anything.

My father is queit for now, not breathing down my neck but my grandfather is watching like a hawk. He wants to see how I plan on taking care of this problem and if I fail to do it the way he expects, he will strip me off my title as the boss of the Russian mafia. The humiliation that will follow won't allow me to take things lightly with Maya and the shadowman.

I dialled the penthouse during lunch. "Mrs. James, tell Miss Amelia to bring my lunch to the office." I hang up.

Thirty minutes later, Maya walked into my office with a wooden food basket in hand. Why didn't the guards take it from her? Well, I told them to show her no mercy and I'm glad they didn't. The sweat on her brow alone made something lighten in my chest. That is what she f*****g deserves.

"There was nothing for me to put the food in." She said when I stared pointedly at the basket.

Masking my expression, I force a smile. "It is fine. You can serve me on that table." I pointed to the coffee table and she did just that whole I watch.

"Why don't you join me? I'm sure you haven't had anything for lunch." I say pointedly, she poured a portion for herself and sat down at the far end of the couch. Fine by me.

"Thank you," she said sheepishly when she finished eating while I barely touched my plate.

"You're welcome." I gulp down water, not fully trusting that she didn't poison my food even though she doesn't know who I am.

"I'm curious." I blurt, trying to go for the normal way guys flirt but I don't know how. Women come to me without having to raise a finger.

"About what?" She frowned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while looking free as a bird like she didn't ditch a mafia boss at the altar. The f*****g audacity.

Keep your anger in check. I repeat in my head then get back to the conversation. We don't want her dead...yet.

"Why you are single. Don't get me wrong, you are very attractive so the file saying single was simply... surprising." I wince in my head for the awful approach but it will have to do.

I watch as the frown between her brows erase and she blushed. f*****g hell. Is that all it took for this w***e to blush? A compliment that she was beautiful? She is going to be so f*****g easy to break and I am going to be there every step of the way. I will enjoy and savor it too like my favourite meal. She made my father make a fun of me in front of my men after all.

"I'm a law student, just wrote my bar exams few weeks ago. There was simply no time to date and all that so here I am, single." She narrated, her smile turning shy by the minute.

I didn't know what to say at first so I go for the kill. "You seem like the romantic type of girl. Am I wrong?"

"Nope. Spot on. The white fence and two dogs kinda girl." She shrugged like it was no big deal while to me, this was all I needed.

This game is going to be be brutal. I have a few changes to the initial plan. With the way she checked me out earlier, I know she finds me attractive which will make things extremely easy for me. I am going to make her fall in love with me and tell her about the game when I have her strapped to a chair in the underground.

This should be fun and I haven't had fun for a long while. Making sure I get that charming look on my face, I stood up and gave her my hand which she tentatively took with confusion. Yeah, don't worry, things will clear off soon enough. Just hope your father will come to your rescue early when the time comes.

"I really enjoy this our lunch together. Would you mind we do this often? I like your company. A lot."

"Sure." Her answer was almost breathless and that was all the green light I needed.

Dad, the Enemy's daughter is now in our hands.