Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 75

"Oh my god, Daniel," I spit, blushing beet red and leaning forward across the table. "Are you serious? Before coffee?"

He leans back in his chair and glares at me. "What, do you think coffee is going to make this any better?"

"Yah," I say, snatching his own tiny espresso cup from its place in front of him and quickly draining it. Screw him, I need this way more than he does.

Daniel's mouth falls open a little when he sees what I've done. "Fay!" he complains, "that's mine!"

I slam the cup back onto the table and glare at him in return. "Oops," I say, cocking my head to the side and crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back.

"You're being such a brat, Fay," Daniel hisses, leaning over the table. "I can't believe you're acting like this, after what you did to me -"

"What I did to you, Daniel?!" I exclaim, huffing in disbelief. "You're the one making crude accusations before I've barely had a chance to sit down - and what business is it of yours anyway!" "You're my fiancé! Of course it's my business!" He retorts, his voice growing louder as he gets angrier.

"Am I?" I ask, sarcastic, unfolding my arms and putting my hands flat on the table so that I can better accuse him in return. "As far as I know, you never asked me to marry you. Your dad told us we were engaged. And so, when it comes to dissolving the engagement, it seems like that was his prerogative. And besides, where were you these past few days? If we were so engaged, and so close, and so dedicated to each other, why weren't you around, begging me to come back? You were probably out somewhere, paying attention to your actual boyf-"

"Watch it," Daniel growls, silencing me and looking around anxiously to make sure nobody heard.

I sit back in my chair, feeling cowed and guilty. Because, of course, I don't want to ruin his life just because he's being a jerk to me. "I'm sorry," I say, a little bitter. "I didn't mean that. That last part. But everything else I did mean!"

"Fay," Daniel grumbles, waving a hand to dismiss it all. "I saw you come down from the third floor - I saw what you were wearing, and I know what he keeps up there."

"Do you?" I ask, my eyes going wide.

"Fay," Daniel pleads, exasperated, "can you please, for once, focus on what is actually important here?"

"Okay," I say quickly, nodding. "Sorry. It's just nuts what's up there - have you gotten to see it all? Do you know what's in all of those cabinets?"

Daniel just gives me a withering, exhausted stare and I bite my lip, realizing that I've done it again. "Sorry," I murmur, and then I look down at my hands and sigh. "Daniel, I haven't slept with your dad."

From the edges of my vision I can see him sit back in his chair in relief.

"But that doesn't mean that I won't," I continue, raising my eyes slowly to his.

Daniel's mouth falls open in disbelief as he stares at me. I blink, surprised, and realize that he was actually hoping that there had been some mistake - that there was some kind of reasonable explanation for why I was running around the third floor in my underwear.

And that actually, I may have just confirmed one of his worst fears. That he was losing his one ally in his house to his dad. I shake my head slowly, opening my mouth to tell him that I'm sorry, but suddenly a plate of food lands in front of me.

I look up, my mouth still open, to see Kent standing there, sliding a plate in front of Daniel as well. I look him over, noting the chef's apron tied tight around his slim waist, his clean-shaven cheeks below eyes with dark circles beneath them. Apparently, he got less sleep than I did last night.

I cock my head, curious about that.

"Daniel," Kent says, his voice even but unfriendly. "Don't you have class to attend?"

Daniel just crosses his arms, glaring at his dad and not responding. But Kent doesn't rise to the bait. Instead, he turns to me.

"Fay, I'd like you to go to lunch today at your father's house."

"Really?" I ask, my eyebrows raising.

Kent nods. "Yes, I need you to feel out the situation. Word has gotten out about the end to your engagement to Daniel," he continues, looking briefly at Daniel to include him in the conversation, "and that you've been spending time with Ivan. I'd like you to see how your father feels about this change. And report it back to me."

I nod, agreeing but hesitant.

"What," Kent demands, his words clipped. "You don't want to do it?"

"Oh," I say, surprised. "Um, no, I'll do it...it's just...one of the less pleasant tasks that I've been assigned."

Kent does an almost double take at these words, looking suddenly into my eyes with surprise on his face. I c**k my head to see it - I'm not sure I've ever seen Kent truly surprised before. But then I consider the meaning of my last words and realize that, of course, our encounter on the third floor last night was an assignment of sorts. And that I've just implied that lunch with my dad will be worse...

I blush, and curse myself again for my stupid tendency to do that all the time. Not only do I look like an idiot, blushing all the time, I also wear my emotions right on my sleeve.

"No," I blurt out, shaking my head and looking down at my breakfast, "I mean, it's fine. I'll do it. It won't be so bad."

"Not every assignment is going to be a date with a sexy tattooed blonde, Fay," Kent insists and I look back up at him in shock. Was he...did he just tease me? Did he just... "Did you just...call Ivan? Your enemy? A sexy tattooed blonde?"

Kent just smirks at me and laughs a little, turning away. "Your car will be ready at eleven, Fay. Jerome will drive you. Don't make me regret assigning him to you this time."

I say nothing as Kent walks away, just staring after him, wondering how he does this. Balances it all, lives a life of such extremes with such complete control. Hell, I get one knot in my plans and go to pieces, but Kent...

"Wait," Daniel says, leaning forward and interrupting my train of thought. "Did you go out on another date with Ivan? When?"

"Um," I say lightly, picking up my fork and poking at my eggs. "Last night?"

"What!?"

I sigh, looking evenly at Daniel. "Seriously, Daniel, if you want to be a part of this then you should pay more attention. You're like, the last person in this house to be aware of that." Frustrated, I start to shovel food into my mouth. Seriously, if he's so into being my fake fiancé, you'd think he'd start to pay a bit more attention to me.

I glance at Daniel as I eat and see him carefully studying me from his chair. I realize suddenly that he's coming to precisely the same conclusion as me, at exactly the same time.

"So," Daniel says, leaning forward and giving me a big smile. "Let's hang out tonight, then. Watch some movies, like we used to do."

"Okay," I say, hesitating. Because honestly, I don't know if I want to make plans if...

...if there's another box of lingerie waiting at my door tonight.

If Kent has another assignment in mind.