Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 308

Chapter 308: Chapter 92 Preparing for Battle

Dominic’s POV

Zoe and I grabbed espresso at the small Italian cafe near the Thorne family’s front operation building. While there, she administered what she called a "gentle reminder" by yanking my ear hard enough to make me wince - a move that would have cost anyone else their life, but Zoe had earned her immunity through years of unwavering loyalty.

She then outlined her master plan: shopping expedition, complete makeover, return to my Capo duties soon, and finally, the part that mattered most - helping me win back Gemma. I wasn’t entirely clear on what all this entailed, but I was already drowning in misery since losing the woman who had become my entire world, so I figured I might as well accept the lifeline my most trusted lieutenant was throwing me.

After finishing our coffee, we commandeered one of the family’s armored vehicles and headed directly to the luxury hotel where I’d been living like a wounded animal for some time, avoiding my responsibilities and drowning in self-destructive rage.

"Dominic Frost," Zoe announced once we entered my penthouse suite, "you’re taking a proper shower, packing your belongings, and checking out of this hotel immediately."

I ran my hand through my disheveled hair, noting how the once-pristine suite now reeked of whiskey and despair. "Zoe, I can’t go back to the family compound without Gemma there. And if I return to my private apartment, she’ll never forgive me for what happened there."

"I see I need to rearrange my strategy." Zoe sighed dramatically, her voice carrying the authority of someone who had cleaned up after my violent outbursts for years. "Fine. We’ll tackle the Gemma situation today, and soon you can return to running your territory."

My face lit up with the first genuine hope I’d felt in a long time. "Are you serious?"

"But," she raised a finger like the seasoned enforcer she was, "you follow my instructions exactly. Starting with that shower because, frankly, you smell like you’ve been sleeping in the back alleys of our worst neighborhoods." She physically pushed me toward the bathroom with surprising strength.

"Whatever you say," I agreed, discreetly sniffing my shirt. The grimace that followed made Zoe burst into laughter. "Oh, wait a moment." I hurried back to the reception desk, gave some instructions to the manager, and rejoined Zoe at the elevator.

"What was that about?" she asked, her trained suspicious nature evident in her voice.

"I asked them to send up the housekeeper who helped me earlier. I want to thank her properly."

"Helped you how?"

"She found me unconscious on the floor, completely intoxicated after that disaster with Beatrix, and called for assistance. The manager arranged for an ambulance to take me to the hospital before word could spread through the families."

"Hospital?" Zoe’s eyes widened in genuine shock. "Dominic, you’re not some street-level soldier who can’t handle his liquor. You’re a respected Capo!"

"Everything just became unbearable without Gemma," I admitted quietly, my voice carrying the weight of a man who had killed for lesser reasons but couldn’t function without one woman’s love.

"Don’t ever do something that reckless again," she admonished before softening slightly. "Though I have to say, your generosity toward civilians is quite admirable for someone in our line of work."

"It’s not generosity, Zoe. It’s gratitude. She could have easily ignored me and walked away, but she didn’t. She cared enough to help someone she didn’t know was dangerous - and that led to something even more significant."

"What do you mean?" she asked as we exited the elevator on my floor.

"I was treated by Dr. Zander at the hospital."

"Who’s that?"

"Willow’s boyfriend Ryder’s son. He’s like a brother to Gemma, but I only discovered that today. For a while I’ve been torturing myself thinking he was Gemma’s new lover, ready to eliminate him from the equation." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Oh right, she mentioned him yesterday," Zoe said, accepting the bottled water I handed her from the suite’s bar.

"What do you mean you didn’t know about him?"

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify