Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask novel Chapter 437

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437 Chapter 33 Birthday Gifts Unveiled

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437 Chapter 33 Birthday Gifts Unveiled

Lila’s POV

I practically floated into Thorne Group’s headquarters that morning, radiating happiness despite the dangerous world that surrounded our operations. My inspector had given me the most incredible birthday celebration-breakfast in bed accompanied by tender affection, followed by passionate encounters that continued seamlessly into his private shower. Lost in these delicious memories of our secure penthouse sanctuary, I barely noticed when Daniel’s armored sedan pulled up to the corporate building that served as our family’s legitimate front.

“Where’s your mind wandering, little one?” Daniel asked, his lips curving into that devastating smile that could disarm both prosecutors and rival families alike.

“Just replaying this morning’s activities and wondering if there might be an encore tonight,” I admitted, knowing our conversations were safe from surveillance in his specially equipped vehicle.

His eyes darkened instantly with that predatory intensity that made him feared in both the precinct and the underworld. “Do you honestly believe I wouldn’t make you moan and come apart beneath me all night long?” The bluntness of his words sent heat rushing to my cheeks. Even after all this time in his protected world, his uninhibited way of expressing such intimate thoughts still flustered me.

“Is that a guarantee, inspector?” I managed, summoning the courage that came from being under the protection of the Martinez name.

“Absolutely, my little one. I have several ideas for tonight that I think you’ll enjoy in our secure tower.”

You’re feeling particularly inventive today,” I teased, enjoying this rare moment of lightness in our heavily guarded existence.

09:40 9

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437 Chapter 33 Birthday Gifts Unveiled

he’d whispered in the car, though those details were staying private even among trusted friends.

“That inspector! He could have organized a gathering and invited all of us to the private dining room,” Zoe pouted, making me laugh at her feigned indignation. “Well, since that’s how it is, make sure you wear the lingerie I gave you tonight. Your inspector won’t know what hit him.”

“Oh, Zoe! Only you would say that. But I do love the gift-you always know exactly what to get, even when shopping through our secure suppliers.”

“I’m telling you, Tiny Cipher, stick with me, and you’ll never go wrong in this business!” Zoe replied with a confident grin that reminded me she was far more than just a socialite-she was one of our most effective intelligence gatherers.

When I returned to Thorne Group’s legal department, three more gifts awaited on my secured desk. First was a stunning arrangement of pink lisianthus flowers in an elegant bulletproof glass vase from my inspector. The card expressed his wishes for a wonderful day and mentioned his anticipation for our evening together-a sentiment I definitely shared, knowing how rare such peaceful moments were in our world.

Next was a larger box with a card attached. It was from my older brother Beckett, the current head of the Sullivan family operations, and his wife Katarina, filled with warm birthday wishes and pride in the woman I was becoming within our organization. Inside was a luxury brand purse with hidden compartments and matching high heels-absolutely beautiful and perfectly functional for our lifestyle. Katarina’s taste was impeccable as always, combining elegance with the subtle security features our world demanded.

Since she began her strategic marriage to Beckett, consolidating two powerful family alliances, she’d made it a tradition to select thoughtful gifts for me and ensure my brother did the same. She believed that choosing presents carefully demonstrated how much you valued someone within the family hierarchy. In my childhood under Claire’s controlling influence, I’d had

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437 Chapter 33 Birthday Gifts Unveiled

to hide these gifts, as my mother considered them frivolous displays of wealth that could draw unwanted attention. Now, living independently under Daniel’s protection, I no longer needed to conceal such treasures.

The third box was smaller, but I already knew its contents. Opening the card confirmed my suspicion-it was from my father, the patriarch of the Sullivan family’s legitimate business empire. Each year, he gifted me jewelry crafted by our family’s trusted artisans, secretly protecting these offerings from Claire’s interference. He always said gold and property were investments that could help me through difficult times if the family’s protection ever failed-a practical philosophy in our unpredictable world.

I had kept those pieces hidden from Claire during my childhood years under her supervision. Once, growing suspicious of my father’s generosity, she ransacked my room while I was at school, searching for evidence of what she saw as favoritism that threatened her position. Fortunately, I’d cleverly concealed my little collection inside a teddy bear that I would open, place the gifts inside, and carefully sew closed again, keeping it high on my bookshelf among other innocent childhood items.

That particular day, I returned to find my teddy bear thrown to the floor and Claire in a rage, demanding to know what my father had given me. When I denied receiving anything, she struck me with the calculated cruelty of someone who understood exactly how to inflict pain without leaving marks that would anger the family patriarch. She threatened to continue until I confessed. Thank goodness Beckett arrived home at that moment and intervened with the authority of the heir apparent. He took me to his secure residence, promising I wouldn’t have to leave unless I wanted to and only with our father’s explicit protection. I returned to the main house shortly after-she was still technically my mother in the family structure, after all. But I took my precious bear to my brother’s compound for safekeeping, only retrieving it when I moved away to my own protected apartment.

That was just one of many birthdays Claire had ruined with her power games and psychological manipulation. Year after year, she transformed what should have been celebrations into nightmares designed to remind me of my

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