Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask

Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Bitter Sweet Confession

Ivy’s POV

Consciousness returned to me slowly in the dim shadows of Xavier’s office. A single desk lamp cast amber light across the mahogany surfaces, and through the bulletproof windows, the city’s neon glow painted the darkness in shades of blood and gold. My mind felt clouded, struggling to piece together how I had ended up on this leather sofa. The last coherent memory was sitting at my desk earlier, drowning in the endless columns of laundered money while an overwhelming wave of exhaustion threatened to pull me under.

A familiar warmth encircled my ankle, sending electric shivers up my spine. Even before my eyes found him, I recognized that possessive touch. My feet had somehow found their way onto Caleb’s lap, and his battle-scarred hands moved in slow, hypnotic circles around my ankles, each stroke a silent claim of ownership.

”There you are, my angel. How do you feel?” His voice carried that dangerous edge that always made my pulse race with equal parts fear and desire.

”Disoriented. What time is it? I don’t remember lying down here.” The words came out thick with the remnants of whatever Katelyn had given me.

”Well past nightfall. Katelyn brewed you one of her special concoctions to help you rest. She didn’t hold back with the dosage, said you needed to shut down completely.” A tired smile played at the corners of his mouth, but it didn’t reach those ice-blue eyes. ”I found you collapsed at your desk and carried you here. Figured you’d prefer waking up in neutral territory rather than in my private quarters.”

”You figured right.” I pulled my feet from his lap and attempted to stand, but my body felt like it was moving through thick molasses.

”Easy, tesoro. You’ve been unconscious for hours. Your system needs time to process whatever Katelyn put in that tea,” he murmured, his palm moving in soothing circles across my back, drawing an involuntary sigh from my lips despite everything between us.

”Those flowers the Clairemonts sent...”

”Handled with extreme prejudice. But we need to talk, Ivy. Really talk about what’s happening here.”

”Fine. What is it you want to say?” I surrendered with a heavy sigh. Running wasn’t an option anymore, not when the Thorne territory was the only safe haven in a city full of enemies.

”Food first.” He reached for a container of Chinese takeout on the coffee table, extending it toward me along with chopsticks. ”You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

”I need to clean up first.”

”Xavier’s private bathroom is through there. Your bag’s waiting for you.”

I took my purse and escaped to the small washroom attached to the office. The harsh fluorescent lights made me wince as my eyes adjusted. When I finally looked in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back. My clothes were wrinkled beyond repair, my eyes swollen from tears I couldn’t remember shedding, my hair a tangled mess. After using the facilities, I splashed cold water on my face, brushed my teeth, and did what I could to make myself presentable enough to face whatever confession was coming.

When I emerged, the office lights were fully illuminated, revealing Caleb in the same spot with his arms braced on his knees, head buried in his hands like a man confessing his sins to God. He looked utterly defeated, his usual predatory composure completely shattered. I set my purse on a nearby chair and settled beside him on the leather couch, careful to maintain some distance.

He lifted his head slowly, and our eyes met across the space between us. His reflection of exhaustion matched mine perfectly. Dark shadows beneath those striking blue eyes, the telltale redness of suppressed rage and frustration, hair disheveled from running his fingers through it repeatedly. He’d shed his suit jacket and shoulder holster, rolled his sleeves up to reveal the intricate tattoos that marked him as Thorne family, and left several buttons undone on his shirt. Slowly, he leaned back against the cushions and offered me a smile that held more pain than comfort. Even in this broken state, he remained the most devastatingly dangerous man I’d ever encountered.

”Better?” I nodded in response. ”Good. Let’s eat, then we’ll discuss our situation.”

He handed me the container again. We ate in weighted silence, finding an odd comfort in the shared ritual despite the tension crackling between us. When we finished, he produced a box of caramelized dessert that we split without ceremony. After clearing away the empty containers with military precision, he returned to his spot but turned to face me, one knee drawn up on the couch like he was preparing for battle.

”My angel, I know Roman Rossi and his psychotic daughter have been terrorizing you, making your life a living hell in my own territory. I tried to negotiate with them through my attorney and the Commission. I offered them everything, every legitimate business, every offshore account, all the Brooklyn docks, just to get them to leave you alone permanently. But they refused every offer.” His voice cracked slightly, betraying the fury beneath his controlled exterior. ”Their only condition for backing off was for me to go through with this godforsaken marriage.”

”And you agreed to it.”

”I did, tesoro, because I couldn’t see any other way to protect you from their madness, and it’s eating me alive from the inside out. I despise that unhinged woman. I can’t comprehend how I ended up unconscious in her bed that night. I’ve tried to remember what happened, but there’s nothing but blackness. The Clairemonts are poison, and I won’t let them continue hunting you through my streets. That’s why I signed the contract. I sealed the arrangement with Roman yesterday. I planned to explain everything to you this morning, but they beat me to it with those sick flowers and their twisted message.”

”They won’t stop targeting me. They’ll never leave me in peace as long as I’m breathing.”

”Yes, they will. I went to their compound personally, took that vile arrangement they sent, and made it crystal clear to Roman that if they touch one hair on your head, there won’t be a wedding. If they want this alliance, they’ll keep their distance from you.”

”I don’t know what to believe anymore about any of this. I don’t know if I can survive staying in this world.”

”Please, Ivy, don’t abandon me. If you promise to stay by my side, I’ll burn their entire bloodline to the ground, contract or no contract.”

”I can’t ask you to do that. I love you too much to watch you destroy yourself. But you’re going to have a child with that unstable woman. You can’t abandon an innocent baby to her insanity.”

”I know.” The words came out like they were being torn from his throat, and he dragged both hands down his face in anguish.

”I should go home. You need rest too, and we both need space to think.” I stood and grabbed my purse, suddenly desperate to escape the suffocating weight of our impossible situation.

”Let me drive you back.”

”Better not. Xavier arranged protection for me. The detail should be waiting downstairs.”

”They are. Can I at least escort you to the car?”

”Of course.”

We left the office without another word, our footsteps echoing ominously in the empty hallway as we made our way to the underground garage. When the driver opened my door, Caleb suddenly pulled me against him with desperate force, his mouth crashing down on mine like he was drowning. The kiss was hungry and devastating, our tongues dancing together with fierce urgency while our hearts hammered the same frantic rhythm. His arms tightened around my waist as mine wound around his neck, neither of us willing to break this connection that might be our last. Before releasing me, he caught my bottom lip between his teeth, pressed his forehead to mine, and closed his eyes as if trying to burn this moment into his memory. I forced myself to step away from his embrace and slipped into the car, knowing I was heading home to another sleepless night drowning in tears over a love that might destroy us both.