Undressed By The Mafia God novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144: You Do Seem Happy

Valentina narrowed her eyes at him. "You’re different," she insisted.

He shrugged slightly. "I think what you are seeing as different is me no longer giving a shit about women."

Val immediately shook her head. "No, it’s not that."

She studied him again, more carefully now. It wasn’t just his clothes or the tattoo. It was the way he carried himself. There was a confidence there that hadn’t existed before.

"Okay, Val... stop analysing me and tell me about yourself," Cassidy insisted.

"Fine, fine. Uh... I’m seeing this extremely cute guy."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my God..." she sighed dreamily, her head tipping back slightly as she smiled to herself.

Cassidy chuckled.

It was an expression he recognized instantly. He had seen it many times before.

Too many times, maybe.

Valentina looked exactly like her sister.

The same expressive eyes.

The same way her lips curved when she smiled.

The same dark blonde hair falling around her shoulders.

Even the way she sighed dramatically felt painfully familiar.

For a brief second, Cassidy’s mind tried to wander somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t.

He snapped his thoughts back quickly.

Nope.

Not happening.

He forced his attention back to the conversation, shaking the thought away.

Valentina was still talking, completely lost in her dreamy excitement.

The sight made him smile faintly.

Some things, at least, hadn’t changed.

"He makes you happy?" Cassidy confirmed.

"Yeah." She answered.

"You do seem happy."

Valentina didn’t realize how much that simple observation meant until she heard it said out loud. Her smile softened slightly, less dreamy and more genuine. For all her teasing and dramatics, the truth was simple—she was happy. Nervous, confused sometimes, but happy in a way that felt new and fragile.

Once his order was ready, Val grabbed it from the counter. She set it carefully in front of him and added a cold can of soda beside it without asking.

Cassidy reached into his pocket and placed a bill on the counter. "Keep the change."

"Thank you. Come again!" she said brightly.

Cassidy picked up the pizza box, then paused for a moment before leaving. His eyes rested on her face, thoughtful. "Always keep your smile, Val. Don’t ever lose it."

Before she could respond, he was already turning toward the door.

The bell above it jingled softly as he stepped out onto the street.

At the exact same moment, Ricardo was stepping inside.

The two men passed each other in the doorway without stopping. Ricardo glanced instinctively at the stranger, the same quick assessment he had developed from working around Luca’s world.

Something about the man triggered his instincts immediately.

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