My father sold me to the Mafia King

Chapter 105:

Robert’s Point of View

I left Julie immersed in her papers and went up to the upper floor, where the restaurant was located.

The clatter of fine china mixed with soft jazz music.

I directed my gaze directly toward the round table in the center of the place; Commissioner David Sterling was sitting there in his official suit, which reflected the authority of the NYPD.

As soon as his eyes fell on me, he straightened in his seat and pushed his chair back to stand with a dignity befitting his rank.

He extended his hand to shake mine with a strong grip, a diplomatic smile etched on his face as he said:

”Hello, Mr. Robert... it has been a long time. I thought your business had kept you away from your friends in the city.”

I squeezed his hand formally and sat in the chair opposite him, undoing the middle button of my jacket, giving me more freedom of movement.

I said in a calm and steady voice:

”Business never ends, Sterling, but some meetings cannot be postponed.”

I watched him as he readjusted his medical glasses, examining my features as if trying to read what lay behind my calmness.

The nervous movement of his fingers on the rim of the glass betrayed his need for something; police officers do not request a meeting with ”Robert” in a public place unless there is a heavy price to be paid, or security information that the law cannot reach alone.

Commissioner David Sterling leaned his heavy body toward the table until his head almost touched the lamp hanging above us.

He lowered his voice to the point where I could hear nothing but the hiss of his disturbed breath.

He began scanning the wooden surface with wandering looks, as if checking for hidden listening devices in the cracks, before fixing his gaze on my eyes.

He said in a tone filled with exhaustion:

”The matter is filthy, my friend... rather, it is a security scandal capable of burning half the heads of the leadership in the ’Plaza’ if it were leaked to the press.”

I did not give him the pleasure of seeing my reaction. I interlaced my fingers in front of my face with a cold calmness, rested my elbows on the table, and said in a hollow tone:

”I’m listening... proceed.”

Sterling sighed, seemingly sinking into his seat:

”The protected witnesses database... it was opened last night like a can of sardines.

They didn’t touch a single cent; instead, they pulled addresses and codes belonging to our undercover agents embedded in the heart of the Brooklyn mafia families.

The virus used in the operation is terrifyingly sophisticated, and my suspicions lean toward a tech company contracted with your security firm.”

He fell silent for a second, watching my face for any twitch of a muscle or a blink of an eye, but he found nothing.

He continued with a trembling voice:

”My hands are tied by damn bureaucracy and search warrants that take weeks. You own the keys, and you can enter those records without knocking. I want the source of this code before the streets of New York turn into open slaughterhouses for these witnesses.”

A heavy moment of silence passed. The company he mentioned was among the ”dirty list” I had left for Julie to dissect this morning.

I said in a low voice, sharp as a razor blade:

”A breach of this magnitude doesn’t happen from the outside, Sterling. The poison always comes from inside the burrow. I will investigate in my own way, but remember well... the information I lay my hands on becomes mine first, and you can imagine the price of reclaiming it when the fire intensifies.”

The Commissioner nodded weakly, as if a mountain of worries had been lifted off his chest:

”Do what you see fit... just stop this bleeding before the sewers overflow with my men’s bodies.”

I rose from the chair with a coldness indicating absolute confidence, while Commissioner Sterling squeezed my hand with a look full of plea, saying:

”I’m counting on you, Mr. Robert.”

I adjusted my jacket sleeves and said in a decisive tone:

”Rest assured, Mr. Sterling... tomorrow you will receive a call from me with the solution to this problem.”

The Commissioner left, and I retraced my steps toward the office with long strides.

As soon as I opened the door, an unusual silence greeted me; the chair opposite my desk was empty, and the files were scattered in a way that suggested a sudden stop in work.

My eyes scanned the room until I spotted her... Julie was lying on the leather sofa, drowned in a deep sleep that made her features look provocatively calm.

I approached her with silent steps. Her black skirt had risen slightly due to her sleeping position, revealing the soft whiteness of her thighs.

I stopped in my place, feeling a sudden wave of heat sweeping through my chest.

I extended my hand slowly, and with my fingertips cautiously touching the fabric, I pulled the edge of the skirt down to cover her, trying to ignore that strange throbbing in my veins.

I remained leaning over her for seconds, contemplating her deep dimples even as she slept, and her lips which she had colored with a touch of soft pink.

I felt a mad desire to touch her face, but I regained my balance quickly. I took off my jacket and swung it toward her body to cover her, but my hand froze in the air...

I clenched my jaw tightly and said to myself in a biting reprimand:

”What are you doing, Robert? Come to your senses!”

I put my jacket back on violently, as if trying to reclaim my protective shield, then I cleared my throat with a loud, deep sound that shook the silence of the office.

Julie startled like someone hit by an electric current and rose with the speed of light, staggering slightly from the effect of the sudden sleep.

Her hands began to tremble as she tried to adjust her outfit and her disheveled hair, saying in a broken voice trying to regain its lost dignity:

”I... I wasn’t sleeping! I was just... just resting my eyes for a bit.”

I fixed my cold gaze on her, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched the redness of her face beginning to extend toward her neck, and said in a low voice:

”Resting the eyes does not require fully reclining on my office sofa, Julie... have you finished the files?”