Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 328

Chapter 328: Chapter 112 Three Dog Takeover

Dominic’s POV

We pulled into the animal shelter parking lot in the armored SUV, and I could immediately see Carmen’s excitement radiating from the backseat. As we walked through the entrance, I instinctively scanned the area for potential threats while watching her expression shift between pure joy and heartbreak at seeing so many abandoned animals. She moved slowly between the kennels, her small fingers reaching through the reinforced bars to pet the eager puppies that rushed forward, desperate for attention.

The place reminded me too much of the holding cells we used for interrogations, but I pushed that thought aside. This was supposed to be a normal family outing, something Gemma had been insisting we needed more of since she’d become part of our circle.

When we reached the last kennel, Carmen stopped abruptly. There, lying alone at the back like a prisoner in solitary confinement, was a massive dog with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen. He had drooping ears and short black fur with a distinctive white patch running from between his eyes down to his snout. One paw was completely white, like he’d stepped in paint.

"Can we go inside?" Carmen asked the caretaker, her voice barely above a whisper. The man hesitated, glancing at me with recognition—probably knew who I was, what family I represented. When I nodded, he opened the gate. Carmen crawled toward the back without any fear, something that both impressed and terrified me. In our world, that kind of trust could get you killed.

The dog watched her approach with his massive head tilted, probably weighing whether this small human was a threat. Carmen gently stroked his fur and leaned in to whisper something in his ear that I couldn’t catch. The dog sniffed her cautiously before slowly rising to his feet, towering over her like a bodyguard. When Carmen backed out of the kennel, he followed right behind her, already sworn to protect.

"This is the one, Uncle Dominic!" Carmen declared, wrapping her thin arms around the dog’s thick neck. He was enormous compared to her—standing higher than her waist—but incredibly gentle as he licked her face, causing her to burst into delighted giggles. The sound made something tight in my chest loosen. "What’s his name?"

"That’s Caviar," the shelter worker explained, clearly nervous under my watchful gaze. "He’s still young. Been here since birth when his mother’s owner couldn’t find homes for the litter. Despite his size, he’s incredibly gentle. Actually, he’s one of our longest residents."

The name was fitting—expensive taste, just like everything else in our family. I felt obligated to point out the obvious issue. "Carmen, your mother specifically asked for a small dog. Caviar is..." I gestured at the beast, but immediately regretted my words when Carmen’s eyes welled up with tears that could melt titanium. Even the damn dog seemed to glare at me with disappointment. They had clearly formed an unbreakable bond, the kind you couldn’t fake or force.

I sighed, already dreading the phone call with Nadia. She was going to have my head for this. "We’ll take Caviar."

Carmen’s face lit up like Christmas morning in a world where Christmas actually meant something pure. I turned around to find Vincenzo and Gemma playing with another large dog—this one with beautiful caramel-colored fur that bounced around like he was high on cocaine.

"Absolutely not," I protested, using my Capo voice. "Your mother will have me sleeping with the fishes if I bring home two dogs."

Gemma approached me with that mischievous smile that always meant trouble, the kind that made hardened soldiers question their loyalty. "You know, handsome, I’ve always dreamed of having a dog of my own."

"Gemma..." I tried to resist, but then she deployed her secret weapon—that slight pout of her perfect lips that could make me agree to burn down city hall if she asked nicely enough.

The caretaker, sensing an opportunity, jumped in like a used car salesman. "This is Amber. He’s been with us for some time after we rescued him from the highway. We estimate he’s still quite young. Very friendly but high-energy."

I looked helplessly at the shelter worker, a man who probably had no idea he was witnessing a Capo being systematically dismantled by his own family. "You can see I don’t have much choice here, right?" The man chuckled knowingly, probably thinking this was just normal family dynamics instead of a complete overthrow of my authority.

"Fine. We’ll adopt both Caviar and Amber." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

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