Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Who is he texting?

Meanwhile, Daisy was still staring at her phone. Her cheeks had slowly turned pink, the color spreading across her face like a soft blush.

She glanced toward the sleeping Cedric to make sure he hadn’t woken up, then looked back at the screen.

I’m a man.

For some reason, her mind immediately supplied an image of Alessio standing beside her. Tall. Broad-shouldered. That calm, intimidating presence of his making him seem even bigger than he actually was. The way he had looked at her in the hospital corridor, his green eyes warm despite his usual coldness.

Daisy’s cheeks became warmer. She quickly shook her head. What was she thinking?

She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. Then she slowly nodded to herself. Well... he certainly was a man. A very tall, very intimidating, very stubborn man who apparently needed someone to remind him to rest.

Daisy covered her warm cheeks with both hands. She shouldn’t be thinking like this. But the little smile on her face refused to disappear.

After a moment, she picked up her phone again and typed.

Daisy: You are very confident.

Alessio stared at the new message. A slow smile appeared on his face. At least she hadn’t been scared away. He typed back.

Alessio: Only stating facts.

Daisy immediately rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face grew wider. She typed:

Daisy: Rest.

His reply came almost instantly.

Alessio: Yes, ma’am.

Daisy smiled, a soft warmth spreading through her chest.

Then another message appeared.

Alessio: But I liked "good boy."

Daisy’s eyes widened again. She immediately put her phone face-down on her lap, her cheeks burning. This man was crazy!! Super duper crazy man!!!

❀┈┈┈┈❀

Meanwhile, Alessio was sitting in a secluded section of an upscale bar.

A private table had been reserved for the Ricci family, and several men from their organization were gathered nearby, quietly discussing a matter concerning one of their business routes.

Yet Alessio wasn’t paying much attention to them anymore.

He was sitting back in his chair, one hand resting casually against the armrest while the other held his phone. A faint, almost unnoticeable smile covered his face as he looked at the screen.

The men around him noticed.

And they were stunned.

Alessio Ricci? Smiling? At his phone? While typing like some ordinary man texting his girlfriend?

One of the men finally couldn’t resist. He leaned forward, a curious grin spreading across his face.

"Who are you talking to, Mr. Ricci?"

Alessio slowly lifted his eyes from his phone. The faint smile remained but his gaze carried its usual sharpness.

"Does it have anything to do with you?"

The man immediately laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Ohhh." He leaned back in his chair, grinning. "So secretive, huh?"

Alessio simply gave him a cold look and returned his attention to his phone. The man chuckled and wisely decided not to push his luck. Nobody else dared to ask. After all, they had seen Alessio threaten men over far less.

But tonight, something was different. He wasn’t irritated or impatient. He wasn’t even paying attention to the business conversation happening around him. His focus was entirely on the small screen in his hand.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the bar, a young woman had been watching him for several minutes.

She had noticed Alessio the moment he entered. His height, his broad shoulders, his perfectly tailored dark clothes, the expensive watch on his wrist and the effortless authority in his body language had immediately caught her attention.

But seeing him smile at his phone had made her even more curious.

Who is he texting?

Her gaze remained fixed on him. She couldn’t see the screen from where she was sitting, but she could tell that whoever was on the other side had managed to put Alessio in a remarkably good mood. His cold expression she saw at the beginning when he arrived had softened and there was an ease in his posture that she hadn’t expected from someone who looked so intimidating.

Her curiosity slowly turned into hope.

Hopefully he isn’t taken.

She watched him type another message, his lips curving slightly afterward. The sight made her heart beat faster. She liked tall, well-dressed men, especially men who carried themselves with confidence and Alessio seemed to fit every single thing she found attractive.

After watching him for another few moments, she finally made up her mind. She adjusted her hair, straightened her dress, picked up her drink, and stood. She was going to approach him.

"——Hiii~"

The sweet, drawn-out greeting finally managed to pull Alessio’s attention away from his phone. He slowly lifted his eyes, his green gaze moving from the screen to the person standing beside his table.

A young woman was standing there, smiling brightly at him as though they were already acquainted. She tilted her head slightly, her hair falling over one shoulder, clearly trying to appear charming. Her dress was elegant, her makeup flawless and she held her drink in her right hand.

Alessio frowned. "Do you need something?"

She smiled wider. "I saw you were alone, so I thought I’d keep you company."

Before he could answer, she pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, crossing her legs and settling in as if she had been invited.

Alessio stared at her for a second. Then he looked back at his phone. "I don’t need company."

His answer was so blunt that her smile faltered for a moment. But she recovered quickly, leaning forward with renewed confidence.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He didn’t even look up. His attention had already returned to the conversation on his screen. He reread the messages between himself and Daisy.

Good boy.

His eyes paused on those two words. A tiny smile threatened to appear again. Then he remembered his own ridiculous reply.

Good boy? Nah, baby. I’m a man.

He still couldn’t believe he had sent that. What had possessed him?

The woman sitting across from him watched his expression carefully. She had expected him to at least make conversation, but he seemed completely absorbed in whoever was on his phone. Her curiosity and irritation both grew.

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "Well, I’m a singer."

Alessio gave a distracted hum. "I see."

"Perhaps I could sing something for you?"

"You don’t have to."

She smiled as though he hadn’t said anything. "I’d love to."

Before he could stop her, she began singing. Her voice was deliberately soft and sweet, loud enough to attract the attention of the people sitting nearby. She sang a slow, romantic tune, her eyes fixed on him as if she was performing just for him.

Several conversations around them gradually slowed. People began looking toward their table. From a distance, the scene could easily be misunderstood. An attractive woman singing to a handsome man sitting alone in an expensive private section of the bar looked almost romantic.

A few people exchanged amused glances. They probably assumed she was entertaining her boyfriend.