Chapter 4 Relieving the one night stand

The shrilling sound of the alarm going off pulled Massimo from the haze of sleep. Groaning, he slapped at his phone until the noise ceased, squinting his eyes to check the time – it was 8:30 am. He made a heavy sigh, still laying in bed as the events of the previous night filtered back into his mind: the bar, the drinks, the laughter, and then... Regina.

Massimo opened his eyes and surveyed the room. The early morning light filtered through the blinds, casting slats of sunlight across the bed. The sheets were a tangled mess,his shirt and pillows scattered across the floor, a solid reminder that last night was real. He glanced to the other side of the bed and found it empty. A soft laugh escaped his lips because unlike most of his bedmates, she hadn't stayed. Intriguing.

One-night stands were Massimo stress relief especially for his type of work, running a mafia operation and maintaining a legitimate business front, stress was a constant companion. But last night was different. He couldn't shake the image of Regina-her vulnerability, her defiance and her wildness. She somehow unlocked a part of him that he didn't know he had until now.

After throwing on some workout g

clothes, Massimo headed to his home gym. The familiar rhythm of his routine helped clear his mind, but thoughts of Regina kept intruding.

He finished his workout and headed to the bathroom to shower. That was when he noticed her purse on the counter. A small, sleek accessory, definitely not something he would have lying around in his room.

Smirking, he realized she must have left in a hurry.

Minutes later, Massimo was all cleaned up and dressed in his usual sharp suit.

He headed out to begin the day's work.

His trusted secretary, Tony, joined him in the car. He was efficient and loyal, which were the only reason Massimo kept him close.

"Morning, sir" he said as he slid next to Massimo in the back seat. "Hope you had a great night?" He asked.

Massimo nodded, a small smile pulling on his lips at his question. "Yeah, a rather splendid night."

"That's good." Tony replied, switching to a more serious tone. "Here's your schedule for the day."

Massimo half-listened as Tony went through his appointments. Meetings with suppliers, a lunch with a potential client, and an afternoon call with their legal team. His mind was elsewhere, stuck on the mystery woman who had vanished from his bed.

"...and you have a meeting with the board by twelve," Tony was saying to him when Massimo finally made a decision that he found intriguing.

"Tony, I need you to do something for me," He said, cutting his secretary off while he spoke.

"Yes, sir. What do you need?"

"I need to run a background check on someone. Regina. No last name. She was at the VIP section of the club I went to last night. Start there."

Tony raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Got it. Anything specific you want to know?"

"Everything," He replied, his voice sounding amused. He sure was going to enjoy this. "I want to know everything about her."

As they arrived at the office, Massimo found his nephew right in the waiting area.

He frowned immediately.

"What are you doing here, Alex?" Massimo asked

"I waited to see you." He stood up. "They refuse to let me wait on your office floor since I don't have an ID card , plus-" Alex moves closer "-nobody knows you are my uncle." He added in a whisper.

"That isn't the answer to the question" Massimo walked away, while Alex trailed behind him to the elevator.

As soon as they got to his office, Alex spoke up, "Isn't it about time you let me work with you?"

"My answer remains no. I promise my sister to keep you far away from all this."

"What if I tell you I got a hold of the Queen's company." The mention of that name got Massimo attention; The Queens had been head on with him for months.

"How did you do that?"

"Oh well, let's just say I used my charm."

"Whatever you do, you are on your own Alex"

"But–"

"I have to get to work, leave." Massimo ordered Alex which he had no choice but to obey.

Wordlessly, he turned and left.

The day dragged on, each meeting and phone call frustrating. By evening, Tony handed him a folder. "Here's what I found on Regina," he sad,

He opened the folder and scanned the contents. Regina Jones. Co-owner of Queens that had been neck and neck with mine in recent months. The same company Alex talked about.

The irony wasn't lost on him. Regina company was in the midst of an internal crisis, which could serve as useful leverage. Satisfied at the piece of information he had just gotten, he gave a small nod gently dismissing Tony for the day before he left for his mansion.

Days passed, Massimo succeeded with much hassle to push Regina in the back of his mind as he busied himself with work. Being an apex predator in both the business and underground world required a lot more attention and effort. He couldn't afford to wreck that. Not even a delightfully defiant and passionate Regina and the one night stand they had could distract him.

However, fate had a much better plan. Just when Massimo thought he had forgotten about Regina, she presented herself to him again.

Here she was at a high-profile event for business professionals. She looked stunning in her red dress, every bit the confident businesswoman and the woman he had seen at the club and she still had that defiant air to her.

She was smiling at whatever her partner had said as they stood together.

He ignored the tinge of jealousy that he felt on seeing her with another man as he approached them.

"Good evening, Mr. Hans." Massimo greeted her partner first when he finally reached them.

He inhaled deeply Regina's scent.

"Oh, Massimo. Good to see you." Mr Hans grinned, reaching for a handshake. "I didn't think you'd come today."

"Yes, me too. I don't usually come to these kinds of events. I am glad I am here though. " Massimo smiled, looking over at Regina just then but not once did she regard him with recognition.

So she didn't remember what they had? He wondered.

Massimo smiled at Mr. Hans, having momentarily zoned out of the conversation, to hear him introduce them. "Regina Jones, this is Massimo Gomez, a key player in our industry."

Regina turned to him, her expression cool and composed.

"Mr Massimo Gomez," she said, her voice smooth. "Nice to meet you."

Massimo smirked, extending his hand. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Regina Jones."

She took his hand to lock it in a handshake. For a moment, their eyes met and he finally saw a flicker of recognition in hers.

Her eyes widened slightly, but she composed herself quickly.

His lips curved. He was beginning to like her a lot.

"I believe we've met before, no?" Massimo said, a smirk playing on his lips as she shifted with discomfort.

She blinked rapidily. She was trying her best to maintain her composure. "I don't think so, Mr. Massimo..."

"Just Massimo," he interrupted smoothly. "And I distinctly remember a few nights ago. You left quite an impression."

Before she could respond, Mr. Hans chuckled, oblivious to what was really happening. "Ah, Massimo, always the charmer. Regina, He's a big shot in our world and could come in handy with all of the mess going on currently at Queens ..."

Regina's eyes flicked angrily to Hans and then back to Massimo. "That's nice to know. But we're handling our situation just fine."

Massimo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? From what I hear, your company is struggling. It would be a shame for all your hard work to go to waste."

Regina's eyes narrowed, her composure slipping just a fraction. "We're fine, thank you. Rumors will always be rumors."

He smiled. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

Regina's jaw tightened, but she said nothing, her eyes burning with barely contained anger.

She turned and walked away, with Hans having no choice but to follow her.