Chapter 104: The Mafia Has Given Me a Promotion

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It seemed like Lorenzo thought that every little annoyance I faced could easily be fixed by having someone else handle it.

For instance, when I complained about the uncomfortable chair in the library, a new one showed up by morning.

And when I mentioned how the gardens felt too quiet in the afternoons, he suggested hiring a small orchestra to play outside my bedroom window.

I quickly shot that idea down...I didn’t want to wake up to violins every time I needed a fucking nap.

He found my irritation amusing, which only made me suspect that he took pleasure in getting under my skin as much as he enjoyed my company.

Sadly, I was starting to like him even more, which was turning into quite the dilemma.

That morning, I stood in front of the mirror, trying to style my bangs to hide the fading mark on my neck when Lorenzo stepped out of the dressing room.

He was already dressed in a sharply tailored dark suit, his pale hair neatly pulled back, and his watch already on his wrist.

He looked like he had been awake for hours, which I could believe given how often I’d woken up to find him reading papers beside me.

I caught his reflection in the mirror.

Lorenzo chuckled at my frustrations of trying to hide the bite and came up behind me so our reflections lined up in the mirror.

He placed his hands on my waist and leaned down to kiss the side of my head.

"Are you ready for breakfast, tesoro?"

"I’m ready for food, but not really for the rest of the day."

"Training?"

I sighed. "Unfortunately."

"You seemed to have fun yesterday."

"I liked it when Nikolai finally acknowledged that I was getting better. But I didn’t enjoy the part where he thought making me run an extra five laps was a reward for improving."

"He’s just doing his job." Lorenzo smiled against my hair before letting go. "Try not to hurt him."

"No promises."

He shot me a knowing look, and I followed him out of the bedroom, hoping he wouldn’t start lecturing me about respecting my instructor.

When we got to the breakfast room, several members of the household were already gathered around the long table.

Leon was setting up fresh fruit in the center while a couple of other servants were pouring coffee and serving warm dishes to those who’d already arrived. I finished my meal, thanked Leon, and headed out for training.

Stepping outside, the cool morning air greeted me, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and damp earth. The estate looked particularly lovely at that hour, sunlight streaming through the trees to illuminate the winding paths between the gardens.

A few gardeners were already busy near the flower beds while guards stood watch at their usual spots.

One guard caught my eye as I walked by. When our gazes met, he straightened up and nodded respectfully.

"Good morning, Donna." He said.

I blinked, so I really was a Donna now.

I had no fucking clue on what to do with this title.

I nodded back, which felt like a new development. A few weeks back, I probably would have wondered if he was checking to see if I had a secret escape plan. Now, I just kept walking.

It was odd how quickly things that seemed out of the ordinary could become normal, even with armed men standing guard outside and the person I shared my bed with having the power to order someone’s death before lunch.

I made it to the training area just in time to see Nikolai wrapping up a chat with one of the guards.

He nodded to dismiss the guy before turning to me.

"You’re late."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "I’m two minutes early."

"You were supposed to be here five minutes ago."

"Maybe your clock needs a check-up."

Nikolai just stared at me.

"Good morning to you too, Sensei." I added, smiling.

He gestured toward the mat. "Warm up."

I groaned but started stretching anyway, knowing arguing would just lead to him piling on more exercises.

Over the past few weeks, Nikolai had loosened up a bit around me, though his mood still resembled that of a closed filing cabinet.

I had improved. Probably enough to actually Lorenzo this time!

Okay...no bullshitting. Let’s be real, that would take a miracle, but enough to defend myself better than before.

My balance was better, my reflexes were quicker, and I was getting better at picking up on the small signs an opponent might give that hinted at an incoming attack.

I still tended to overestimate my skills whenever I got annoyed, but Nikolai assured me that was more about my personality than my technique.

I told him to mind his own fucking business.

He added another set of drills.

Our training session stretched on for nearly two hours. Nikolai put me through a grueling mix of defensive moves, sparring, and endurance drills that had me sweating and questioning my life choices by the end.

When he finally called for a break, I collapsed against the wall, trying to reassure my lungs that they weren’t about to give up on me.

Nikolai sat a short distance away, hydrating while I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a towel.

For several moments, silence filled the training room, broken only by our heavy breathing and distant footsteps outside.

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. "I’m going to die."

"You say that every morning."

"One day, I’ll be right and actually die."

"Not if you keep exaggerating."

I peeked at him. "You really lack compassion."

"I’ve got plenty."

"Where do you keep it?"

"Somewhere out of your reach."

I snorted and had a sip of water.

I liked this guy...

When I looked up again, I caught Nikolai staring at me. Not in the usual way he would during training...checking my posture or foot positioning, but differently.

His gaze was fixed on my neck.

I raised an eyebrow. "The fuck are you staring at?"

Nikolai looked away quickly, he cleared his throat and took another drink.

"I was looking at the mark."

I touched my neck. "What about it?"

"It’s fading."

"That’s how healing works."

He shot me a quick look. "It’s a temporary mark."

"Yes, Nikolai. I was there when it happened."

His jaw tightened, and he shifted his gaze to the wall. I studied him for a moment.

There was always something a bit off about how Nikolai acted whenever my marriage came up these days.

He was entirely respectful to Lorenzo, followed orders without hesitation, and never questioned the Don’s authority when others were around.

But when it was just the two of us, there were moments when he seemed to want to ask something but hesitated, unsure if he had the right.

I’d noticed it before, especially after our fight when he complimented me for doing better than he expected and then looked almost embarrassed when I thanked him.

Right now, he stared at my mark like it had personally offended him.

"Why haven’t you and the Don fully bonded?" he asked, bluntly.

I blinked, surprised. "Excuse me?"

He seemed aware of how direct he’d been but didn’t retract it.

"You’re married. Living together. The mark has already been made, so why hasn’t it become permanent?"

I stared at him, taken aback. "Is this part of the training, snitch?"

"No."

I sighed as I leaned my head back against the wall again.

"It’s between me and Dracula."

He held my gaze. "Does he not want to?"

I shot him a flat look. "Why are you so curious about my husband’s preferences?"

The word husband slipped out without me realizing until I saw Nikolai’s expression shift.

I cleared my throat. "I...I mean Dracula."

His eyes stayed on me. "Your husband."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, I don’t have a spare husband on hand to actually mark me. Why do you care anyway? You wanna do it instead?" I joked.

Nikolai glanced away again, though I caught a hint of color creeping onto his cheeks.

Huh...there it was again! That blush!

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you blushing?"

"No."

"You are."

"It’s warm in here."

"It’s freezing."

"Then maybe I’m coming down with something."

I laughed. "You really are a terrible liar."

He ignored me, resting his forearms on his knees as he asked, "Are you happy with him?"

The question caught me off guard, and my smile faded. "What?"

"Are you happy with the Don?"