Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 332

Chapter 332: Chapter 116 Designer Shoe Disaster

Gemma’s POV

We had barely started our gaming session when Daniel received an encrypted call that pulled him away with terse mentions of Thorne family business, promising to return after handling some cleanup work. Lila sat quietly observing while the rest of us continued playing without interruption.

Everything was progressing smoothly until Maia’s call disrupted my concentration.

"Gemma, your moving boxes from the old apartment have arrived at the safe house. I’m planning to organize everything—do you have any specific instructions for me?" Maia asked. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, grateful I wouldn’t need to visit that compromised location myself—especially after that disturbing threat letter.

"No special instructions, Maia. They’re just clothes and personal items—you can leave everything in the walk-in closet. I really appreciate your help with this," I replied, genuinely thankful for her assistance in maintaining operational security.

"One more thing," Maia added. "Zander asked me to give you this." She handed over an envelope that immediately sent tremors through my body.

Another letter so soon? Impossible. I stood frozen, staring at the envelope as if it might explode in my hands. Suddenly, I felt a reassuring touch on my shoulder as the envelope disappeared from my grip.

"I’ll handle this, Claire," Dominic said from behind me, his voice carrying that dangerous edge reserved for family threats. "Don’t let it poison your day."

But the damage was done—my peace of mind had already shattered. I reclaimed the letter from Dominic’s hands and tore it open, unable to bear the suspense any longer. The contents were predictably menacing—more threats from Nick claiming he’d secured protection from rival crews and would be released soon to settle scores.

I needed to contact our family lawyer immediately to get intelligence on Nick’s potential release timeline. He’d been locked up for quite some time already—how much longer did our protective custody last?

"I’ll call the family attorney tomorrow," I sighed, surrendering the letter to Dominic. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"You alright?" he asked, his arm circling my waist as concern darkened his emerald eyes.

"I am. I told you—I feel safe in Thorne territory," I assured him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

When Daniel finally returned hours later, Lila had already claimed the gaming championship title. Dominic pulled Daniel aside to show him the newly arrived threat. While Vincenzo captivated everyone with another of his elaborate adventure stories, I discreetly motioned for Lila to join me.

"What’s troubling you?" Lila questioned when we reached the privacy of the secure living room.

"I should be asking you that—why the worried expression?"

"Daniel’s still acting strangely. Did you notice how he rushed out earlier for that Thorne business?"

"You need to confront him directly, Lila."

"Maybe I should..."

After our friends departed and the children were secured for the night, exhaustion washed over me. What I had hoped would be a peaceful Monday had transformed into an emotionally draining day. I had just settled comfortably under the reinforced covers when Dominic’s panicked voice shattered the silence.

"CLAIRE!" he shouted from the walk-in closet, desperation evident in his tone.

"What could possibly warrant such a reaction?" I wondered, dragging myself reluctantly from bed.