Chapter 3 - The Underworld's Assistant
The next morning, Kayla arrived at the estate wearing her best thrift-store slacks and a modest blouse.
She felt like an absolute fraud walking through the grand front doors without a mop in her hands.
Mrs. Gable glared at her from across the foyer, her eyes narrowed in deep suspicion.
Kayla ignored the housekeeper and walked straight toward the heavy doors of the soundproof study.
She knocked softly, her knuckles trembling against the dark wood.
"Come in," Gunther’s voice called out.
Kayla pushed the door open and stepped into the masculine room.
Gunther was seated behind his massive mahogany desk, reviewing a stack of shipping manifests.
Victor Romano was standing near the window, sipping a cup of black coffee.
Victor stopped mid-sip and stared at Kayla.
"Who is this?" Victor asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"This is Kayla," Gunther answered without looking up from his papers.
"She is my new personal assistant."
"She will manage my schedule, organize my files, and handle my private affairs."
Victor looked at Gunther as if he had grown a second head.
"A personal assistant?" Victor scoffed.
"Since when do you let anyone touch your private files?"
"Since today," Gunther replied coldly, a silent warning hidden in his tone.
Victor raised his hands in surrender, sensing the dangerous shift in his boss's mood.
"Alright, whatever you say, Gabe."
Victor grabbed his coat and walked toward the door.
He paused beside Kayla, looking her up and down with intense scrutiny.
"Welcome to the deep end, kid," Victor muttered before leaving the room.
When the door clicked shut, the silence in the study felt incredibly heavy.
Gunther finally looked up from his desk.
His dark eyes slowly traced the lines of her modest outfit.
"You look rested," Gunther observed.
"I am," Kayla replied, her voice steadying slightly.
"My brother cried when the clinic told him the bill was paid."
"Thank you, Mr. Woods."
"Call me Gunther," he commanded smoothly.
"Your desk is in the corner."
Kayla walked over to a beautiful, antique writing desk that had definitely not been in the room yesterday.
A brand-new laptop and a stack of encrypted files were waiting for her.
For the next few weeks, Kayla learned the terrifying reality of Gunther’s business.
She saw the massive sums of money moving through offshore accounts.
She saw the names of corrupt politicians on the payroll.
She realized exactly how much blood was on the hands of the man sitting across from her.
But she also saw how he shielded his people.
She saw him pay for the funeral of a dockworker who had died in an accident.
She saw him ruthlessly punish a lieutenant who had harmed an innocent bystander.
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Gunther was a monster, but he was a monster with a strict code of honor.
And slowly, the terrifying silence between them began to feel like a strange kind of peace.
