Chapter 4 - The Invitation
The tension inside Moretti Maritime Holdings was palpable for days following the confrontation with Victor Vance. Rumors swirled through the lower floors that a syndicate war was brewing between Chicago and the East Coast.
Yet, inside Adrian’s office, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The door remained cracked open. Adrian had begun asking Elena to sit inside his office during her afternoon administrative reviews, going over financial portfolios and maritime risk assessments side-by-side at the large oak conference table.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the skyline and painted the Chicago River in shades of bruised purple and gold, Adrian closed a thick ledger and looked across the table at her.
"You've been working eighty-hour weeks for a month, Elena," Adrian observed, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. "And you haven't taken a single day off."
"I don't need a day off," Elena replied, though she rubbed her tired eyes behind her glasses. "I like work. Work is predictable. Numbers don't lie, and they don't threaten you in parking garages."
A faint, rare ghost of a smile touched the corner of Adrian’s mouth. "Good. Because I'm taking you out."
Elena froze. She looked up, her heart skipping a beat. "Sir?"
"It's not a date, Elena," Adrian said smoothly, though his eyes betrayed a deeper, more complex calculation. "It's a charity gala at the Drake Hotel this Saturday. Every corrupt politician, rival syndicate boss, and curious socialite in Illinois will be there. I need someone by my side who can spot a forged balance sheet from across a ballroom and isn't afraid of sharks."
"I don't have a dress for the Drake," Elena said instinctively, stating a practical fact.
"When I picked up your debt from that loan shark," Adrian replied, standing up and reaching for his coat, "my logistics team also accessed your personal storage unit in Dorchester. Your mother's emerald-silk evening gown from 2018 is hanging in the executive wardrobe closet upstairs. It fits you."
May you like
Elena stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "You... you went through my storage unit?"
"I do my due diligence," Adrian said with a deadpan expression, turning toward the private elevator. "Be ready at six on Saturday. Dante will pick you up."
