Chapter 1 - The Unlikely Promotion
Evelyn stood completely frozen in the doorway of the private office.
She looked from the chewed leather folder to the messy housekeeper sitting in the boss's chair.
Dominic Castellano slowly picked up his reading glasses from Mara’s face.
He carefully wiped the puppy drool off the lenses with a pristine silk handkerchief.
"Ms. O'Leary was simply retrieving a sensitive document from a hostile intruder," Dominic said smoothly.
He pointed a lazy finger at the golden retriever puppy currently chewing on his expensive shoelaces.
Mara scrambled out of the heavy leather chair, her cheeks burning with absolute humiliation.
She expected Evelyn to drag her out of the mansion by her hair.
Instead, Dominic folded his hands on the desk and stared at Mara with intense, unreadable dark eyes.
"Since you are so deeply committed to the welfare of my dog, you are hereby reassigned," Dominic announced.
Evelyn gasped, her rigid posture finally breaking under the shock of the statement.
"Mr. Castellano, she is an untrained temp worker, she belongs in the laundry room!" Evelyn protested.
Dominic shot his estate manager a look so cold it could have frozen the sun.
"She belongs wherever I say she belongs, Evelyn," he whispered dangerously.
Mara swallowed hard, clutching the silver serving napkin to her chest like a protective shield.
"What exactly is my new assignment, sir?" Mara asked nervously.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, a faint shadow of that rare smile returning to his lips.
"You are now my personal assistant, responsible for my private meals and the absolute obedience of this dog," he commanded.
He effectively doubled her salary with a single, careless wave of his hand.
Mara walked out of the office in an absolute daze, carrying the squirming puppy in her arms.
She carried the dog down to the massive industrial kitchen to prepare Dominic's afternoon coffee.
The kitchen was empty, allowing her a moment to process the absolute insanity of the morning.
She needed this money desperately to fix the financial ruin her family had been plunged into.
Mara opened the pantry to grab the expensive imported espresso beans.
She heard heavy, echoing footsteps approaching the kitchen from the service hallway.
Mara ducked instinctively behind the massive stainless steel refrigerator.
Evelyn walked into the kitchen, accompanied by a tall, balding man in a cheap gray suit.
Mara felt the blood completely drain from her face.
It was Leo Vance, the dishonest business partner who had stolen everything from her family's bakery.
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"Dominic will never agree to those terms, Leo," Evelyn hissed quietly.
"He will if you want me to keep quiet about where his missing money actually went," Leo sneered back.
