Mysterious Wife: Of The Cold CEO and Mafia Boss

The words appeared on her screen, with no sender details or identifying trace. For a fleeting moment, her lips curved into a cold, sardonic smile. Why did this message seem like someone was watching her every move? Unfazed, she tapped into her phone, expertly weaving through security layers to attempt a trace on the message's source.

Across town, in a darkened room, a blue eyed man watched his screen with satisfaction. But as he observed, a notification flashed across his monitor: "Tracking detected." He froze, realizing she was tracing him back. Panic set in as he scrambled to disable his connection, yanking cords free and plunging his devices into silence.

Back at the gala, Alice's screen displayed the faint message, "Connection lost." She exhaled a cold laugh, amused by the sender's frantic attempt to sever the link. Whoever this anonymous sender was, they were not beyond her reach. Deciding to investigate further when the time was right, she returned her phone to its place, unfazed by the unknown threat.

As she looked up from her phone, her eyes landed on a calm, gentle figure approaching her. She recognized him from earlier he had been with Jermin and appeared to be the very opposite of him, with a warm and approachable demeanor.

"Have time to spare for a chat?" he asked, breaking her contemplation. She turned to see one of Jermin's friends, a well-dressed man with an easy smile. "You looked so dazzling there…"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time. I was just about to leave," Alice replied coolly, her exhaustion evident in her tone.

"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know." He gave her a lingering look, but Alice felt no inclination to engage. With a brief nod, she walked away in silence.

She stepped out toward her car. As she walked, her gaze locked with Jermin's across the lot. He was heading toward a sleek black Rolls-Royce, surrounded by about twenty bodyguards. She wondered briefly why anyone would need so many guards. He was a striking figure, radiating an aura as cold as her own. Neither bothered with small talk; instead, their eyes met in a silent standoff. In his cold and dissatisfied gaze, there was an unfathomable intensity, as though he were assessing her without revealing a single thought.

She broke the gaze first, stepping into her car without looking back. Jermin watched her for a moment longer before he turned away, retreating into the shadows with his entourage.

***

Night had already fallen when Alice returned to the presidential suite. The evening air was thick with the quiet hum of city life, yet she felt extremely lazy and sleepy. She had endured enough and sacrificed her sleeping time for this gala.

Now inside her suite, Alice's daughter greeted her with a sleepy smile. Her gentle presence softened Alice's otherwise cold exterior, if only for a moment.

"Mom, did you have fun at the party?" her daughter asked, her curiosity mixed with drowsiness.

Alice's expression warmed slightly. "It was… eventful," she replied, running her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Now, it's late, so off to bed."

With her daughter tucked in for the night, Alice returned to her office, a sleek space designed for both luxury and absolute security. Although she was extremely tired, she had top priorities to attend to. In her office, she began to lay the foundation for her business expansion a venture that would bring her successful London-based enterprise into Seattle. She meticulously reviewed her plans, aware that Seattle would be an entirely different landscape with its own set of challenges. The building had already been established and the important things had been done. All she needed was investments from top companies.

After solidifying her next steps, she turned her attention to a different matter. She logged into a high-level dark web network, one she had used sparingly over the years. The network was filled with top hackers, killers, investigators, and so on. Her purpose was specific: to search for any information linked to the uncertain details surrounding her daughter's conception. She hadn't slept with any man in her lifetime, not even John, so her daughter's birth was still a mystery she had to figure out.

The particular date she sought was a hazy memory, yet she knew that within that time frame, something significant had taken place. She carefully placed a bounty for anyone who could bring her reliable information about that night, keeping her own identity shielded through layers of encryption.

Across town, Jermin had returned to his office after the gala. He had to finish up business in his company before dealing with underground affairs. Jermin sat elegantly, reviewing the papers with a lit cigarette between his fingers, occasionally taking drags. Marcus was back in Jermin's office, briefing him on the latest updates.

"Sir, there's been a new inquiry logged on our dark web. Someone has placed a substantial bounty for information on an event that matches a timeframe… the same timeframe you once asked us to investigate."

Jermin's interest piqued. That night had always remained an unsettling blank, a rare lapse in his otherwise precise memory. The inquiry confirmed his suspicion that something had happened, though he couldn't recall any details beyond a hazy recollection of being in a hotel room and an odd sense of unease. Ever since that day, he had an adverse reaction to women and didn't like physical contact with them.

"Find out who placed the bounty," Jermin ordered, a trace of irritation sharpening his tone. The idea of someone digging into a part of his past he couldn't even remember put him on edge, and he intended to uncover exactly who was behind this.

---

Back at her villa, Alice's plans were taking shape. Along with her new business venture in Seattle, she was setting up several strategic alliances to facilitate her return and reclaim her legacy. She also suspected that the there was someone, behind her missing memories and uncertain conception.

Her memory loss of that particular night was not a simple lapse but a calculated cover-up, and although her child's birth was a blessing, she had a feeling that something bigger was coming her way and she needed to figure it out.

For now, however, she allowed herself to relax. She yawned lazily and stretched. After having her bath, she lay beside her daughter and slept peacefully.

The next morning, Alice finally got out of bed groggily; it was already noon when she woke up. She had woken up frantically to her phone ringing countless times. She had wanted to ignore the frantic calls as she was still sleeping but eventually gave in, as the calls didn't allow her to have a peaceful sleep.

On picking up her phone, she saw that the calls were from Marie, her assistant, and she picked up the call lazily.

"What's up?" she asked casually.

Marie's expression on the other side twitched. She acted as if she didn't know the reason she was calling. "Errr, good morning, Miss Alice. The stakeholders' meeting scheduled for 10 am this morning, has been going on for almost an hour, and there's no sign of your presence. The shareholders have already started complaining frantically that's the reason for my desperate calls. Please come quickly, as I can no longer appease them."

Alice took a casual glance at the time; she had forgotten about the meeting. She replied with a casual, "Oh," and stood up. "I'll be there soon." Marie was dumbfounded by her attitude; as expected of her boss, she really didn't care that much.

Before hanging up, Alice instructed Marie to find a prestigious school and register Emily, her daughter, as she couldn't stay at home all day and needed to go to school. Then she hung up and prepared for the meeting.

Noting that she was already late, she decided to drive herself to work and dismissed the driver. A drive of about an hour took her only 20 minutes.

---

At Alice's company

(The Aurealis Group)

Alice walked through the hallway coolly. The meeting had been going on for an hour, and she knew that her absence would have stirred some discontent. She straightened her shoulders and walked in casually but poised.

She glanced at Marie, who followed Alice swiftly as they walked into the meeting room.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense. The stakeholders, all key figures in her business expansion, turned to face her as she entered. Their expressions ranged from indifferent to displeased, but Alice barely faltered, walking with quiet authority to her seat at the head of the table.

One of the senior stakeholders, Mr. Greyson, cleared his throat pointedly. "Ms. Alice, I believe our meeting began an hour ago. I hope you have a valid reason for keeping us waiting."

Alice met his eyes with a calm, unwavering gaze, giving no indication that his comment affected her. "Thank you for your patience, Mr. Greyson. I had an unforeseen delay, but I am here now, and I trust we can move forward without dwelling on the time."

Another board member, Mrs. Lee, leaned forward, her tone cold. "The issue, Ms. Alice, is that certain decisions have already been put forward in your absence. We cannot hold back important discussions simply because our lead arrives late."

Alice noticed a few nods of agreement around the table. She could sense the judgment in their eyes many of them likely assumed her tardiness was a sign of inexperience or lack of commitment. But she was not here to win their approval; she was here to drive the vision of her company forward.

She opened her portfolio calmly, scanning the figures as she spoke coldly, "I appreciate the initiative taken in my absence," she began, keeping her voice steady. "However, I would like to go over the points discussed to ensure that the decisions align with our overall strategy. If there's anything I feel needs revisiting, we'll do so now."

There was a moment of silence as she turned the page, her cold gaze meeting each of theirs in turn, a clear message that she wouldn't be easily dismissed. The board members exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond to her directness.

Mr. Greyson's jaw tightened. "Ms. Alice, with all due respect, this project has numerous moving parts, and we simply don't have the luxury of adjusting every decision at a whim."

Alice held her ground, her tone firm yet controlled. "I understand the importance of time efficiency, Mr. Greyson. But as the head of this expansion, I expect that significant decisions remain within my purview. I'm sure you'd agree that any choice made today should reflect a clear understanding of our goals."

Her face tightened as she reviewed the details.