One Night Mistake… Now I Carry the Mafia Heir

Chapter 84: 84/Escaping the Elevator

Chapter 84

Stephanie’s Point of View

I felt my body completely freeze in place, my limbs turning to blocks of ice as if a violent bolt of lightning had struck me from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. In that horrendous moment, I wished with all my heart that the elevator floor would split open and swallow me instantly, erasing me from existence and from this nightmarish situation. My heart raced with a mad, hysterical frenzy, until I could hear its terrifying pounding echoing in my throat, choking my breath, while a crimson fire ignited across my face and neck from the sheer weight of embarrassment and utter shock.

That cursed object, with its scandalous color and size, rested with unmistakable clarity right by his polished black Italian shoes, catching the elevator light as if defying me.

Holding my breath, which was on the verge of cutting off, I threw my trembling body onto my knees in a blind rush across the floor. I began gathering the scattered contents of my bag with fingers that shook like leaves in a violent wind.

I grabbed the lipstick that had rolled away, then the small perfume bottle, closing my eyes and crying silently in my mind, praying that this stranger wouldn’t look down and notice the catastrophe resting at his feet. But the deathly, suffocating silence that filled the cramped elevator was more than enough to tell me, without a shadow of a doubt, that he saw everything perfectly. Damn you, Kyra! Damn your foolish, cursed advice that brought me to ruin and dragged my dignity through the mud!

My trembling hand, heavy with fear, reached out to snatch the cursed thing and hide it before the scandal could escalate any further, but he was much faster. He leaned his tall frame down with absolute coldness and unwavering confidence, and with a swift, sudden movement, picked it up from the floor with his large hand. The prominent veins on his hand spoke of extreme power and refinement.

My hand froze in midair as if paralyzed. I looked up at him in sheer bewilderment, shock, and true terror mixed with burning shame, while my entire body shuddered with a violence I couldn’t control.

He stood back up to his full, towering, and imposing height, gazing at the silicone piece resting between his fingers for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. His sharp features didn’t flinch, nor did he show any sign of surprise. Then, very slowly, he turned his piercing blue eyes directly toward me. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, utterly mysterious, carrying a provocative and mocking spark of intelligence that nearly killed me.

He extended his powerful hand toward me, holding the object, and spoke in a deep, smooth, masculine voice that resonated right through my chest: "I believe this item belongs to you."

I swallowed hard with immense difficulty, feeling my throat go completely dry, while my strength failed me and my knees shook, barely able to support my weight. I rose from the floor very slowly, dragging the heavy weight of my humiliation, and pressed the large leather design portfolio against my chest, clutching it like a shield to protect myself from his scrutinizing gaze. With fingers that trembled like crazy, I snatched the object from his hand in a flash and shoved it into the deep recesses of my open bag.

Then, I zipped it shut violently without uttering a single word or daring to apologize.

My stomach knotted so aggressively that I felt a sudden wave of nausea from the sheer weight of the situation, and I couldn’t force my eyes to look at his face again. I resorted to staring blankly at the glowing elevator buttons, watching the light move from one floor to another, wishing for the fourth floor to arrive as it approached at a painfully slow, aggravating pace.

A low, mysterious hum escaped him, heightening my agitation and making the blood rush to my ears. I could feel the weight of his sideways glance piercing through my shoulders, examining my body with a suspicious, frightening curiosity. Time inside this cramped metal box felt unbelievably warped; even though the trip was short and took only seconds, it passed like pure torture. I just wanted, at any cost, for this cursed door to open so I could run and escape this fatal embarrassment that had completely shattered my self-confidence.

Ding.

The electronic elevator chime finally announced our long-awaited arrival at the fourth floor. The metal door slid open slowly, and I burst out immediately, taking hurried, almost stumbling steps as if escaping a gallows or a pursuing monster. The sound of my high heels clicked shakily against the luxurious marble floor of the hallway, while he remained standing in his place inside the elevator, watching my frantic departure.

I adjusted the heavy leather strap of my bag with hands that were shaking beyond control, walking down that long, wide corridor with heavy, hesitant steps, as if dragging mountains of burdens behind me. I was desperately trying to catch my rapid, shallow breaths, exerting every effort to gather the scattered pieces of my lost self and calm my terror after that horrific, shameful shock I had experienced inside the elevator just minutes ago. I took a deep breath, so deep I felt my lungs might burst, and pressed the black leather portfolio against my chest with all the strength I could muster.

I was trying to protect my small heart, which was beating violently and hysterically, hammering against my ribs from the fatal embarrassment and tension that had entirely consumed me.

I walked on, the hallway appearing endless, until I finally reached the end of the corridor where a luxurious glass office of sleek, modern design stood. It bore a small, gleaming metal plaque inscribed with precise black letters: Recruitment and Design Department - Mrs. Sophia. I stood frozen before the wooden door for seconds that felt like years, swallowing hard with difficulty because of the severe dryness in my throat. Then, I raised my trembling hand slowly and knocked very gently, praying that my facial muscles would hold together.

An authoritative, poised female voice instantly answered from behind the door: "Come in."