Chapter 67

It was about time he reached Dallas. When he landed his phone beeped, he checked it. There was a message from bjs brother which read: "John started his job in disguise. Focus on the work."

He put his phone back and went to meet Alessio. He had no hope of this meeting being successful yet he came for this for only one reason to assess the influence of his enemy.

"Let's see the depth of your impact, motherfucker!" He muttered and settled in the Limousine opening the button of his coat.

On the other hand, Emily smiled when she saw a basket that had a puppy in it. A male dog, guessing from the blue blanket in the basket. She picked him in her arms. "Hey, where did you come from? Aww!" She tickled him affectionately.

She was playing with him when her eyes went to a basket. "Hope you like him. From: Alexanderio."

She thinned her lips and put the more back in the basket. She sat on her chair with the puppy in her hand. "Why is he doing this to me? Why can't he just leave me alone?" She asked the puppy, caressing him.

"Because I want a chance to make you happy, Emily."

She gasped and raised her eyes and looked at Alexandrio who was standing in the doorway of her cabin. "What are you doing here?"

"I hope you like him, I could not think of a better gift than this." He said entering further into the cabin.

She stood up, putting the puppy back in the basket and raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

"I don't want it…" she started but Alexandrio put his finger to her lips, stopping her from speaking further. "Let's stop this charade now Emily, I know you like me and why you are not allowing us to be together…."

Emily brows jerked together, she pushed him a little. "What do you mean you know? What are you talking about?" She asked him?

Alexandrio chuckled. "You will know when the time will come but for now the only thing you want to know is, they will pay the price for your tears, darling. And they will pay it dearly."

Emily's heart stopped. His eyes were intensely dark today, for a moment she got scared by the look in them. She knew then, she knew that someone told him about her past. She was ashamed of her dirty secret.

"Who told you that?" She demanded.

She got anxious thinking about it. How could he be so calm? Wasn't he a

Disgusted with her?

A fear erupted in her mind, "I am not a gold digger. I didn't sleep with him for his money…" she whispered a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Alexandrio pulled her into his arms, "Sh! Don't hurt yourself anymore. Please allow me to wipe all your nightmares and pain, Emily. Allow me to show you what falling in love feels like."

Emily sobbed in his arms, she clutched his hand tightly. "I am not a whore…"

Alexandrio kissed her hair, "I know. I know and I will make them pay."

He kept consoling her with the beauty of his words. Emily shook her head. "No, I don't want to see them again, Alexandrio. I don't want to…"

He held her face between his hands. "I believe in keeping records clear, Emily," he whispered, hugging her even more tightly and he could dance in happiness when she reciprocated the intimacy.

From outside the door, Aurora watched her best friend find love again. She smiled, touching her necklace, "You were right mom, love finds its way to one's heart," she mumbled and prayed that Emily would remain happy and protected all the time.

Emily's eyes went to Aurora standing outside. Now, she understood who told Alexandrio about her past. She gulped the heaviness that formed in her throat and broke their hug. "Aurora? Please come inside."

Aurora smiled, walked inside. "It was you who told him right?" Emily asked her.

Aurora inclined her head. "Yes, I am sorry if I crossed the line but I wanted you to accept what you were running from," she moved closer to her ear and whispered. "And this man is a keeper."

Emily chuckled, nodding she took her hand in hers, "you are my angel, Aurora. You are the reason I was able to move on from that incident. I love you, Bestie."

Aurora air-kissed Emily. "I know I am just perfect, Em," they both burst out laughing, hugging each other.

At least you got your happiness, Em. Mine are still far away from me!

"Sorry to break your moment, but now that you have finally accepted me as your boyfriend, can we go on a proper date?"

Emily raised her brows jovially, "I didn't recall you proposing to me to be your girlfriend, Mr Kyschove?" She teased, "did you remember something, Aurora?"

"No," she shrugged.

"Alright, teaming up against me, let Liam come back then I will show you both what teaming up feels like," he joked but he didn't notice how Aurora's smile became small.

She forced herself to smile, she was in a situation where she didn't know what she wanted. Liking Liam and accepting him were two different things.

Emily becomes silent when she hears Alexandrio. Once again the built water her conscience, before she could speak Aurora spoke up. "You both enjoy your day, I have work to do," saying she left them alone.

Meanwhile, Liam tapped his finger on the table, his eyes focused on the man who ruled over Dallas, Alessio.

"I like your offer but there is just one problem, Liam?" Alessio said leaning back in his chair, putting on the show of being relaxed when he was anything but that. Liam knew every trick he was trying to pull off.

"And what's that?" He asked in the same manner.

"Double the price. You propose twenty-five per cent for safe trade routes but I want a fifty-fifty partnership."

Liam chuckled, "You are demanding far too much anyone sane businessman would agree to?"

"But we are not businessmen, are we? And as far as I remember you have the same fifty per cent partnership with Dmitri Kyschove, don't you? You claim to establish strong ties with us but you still do business with my enemy. How can I trust you?"

"Trust was never a part of our deal, Alessio. I don't trust Dmitri neither he trusts me and I don't trust you either. There is no trust in our business, we just need each other."

"Correction, I don't need you, you need me. But what I don't understand is, why? You receive drugs from Russia, armaments from the very same place. Then why do you need me? I smell something fishy here, Liam."

Liam tapped his finger on the table once again, Alessio was no fool, he understood there was some other motive behind Liam's deal. Now the ball was in Liam's corner, whether he wanted to play this mind game or end it right here.

Liam assessed the situation at hand, Dmitri wouldn't help him, Ethan didn't have any clue about the masked man either.

Liam inclined his head. "You have this kind of partnership with other people too, Alessio, what's wrong if you have it with me too?"

Alessio straightened. "Who are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the masked man, Alessio. I want that man, support me in this and I guarantee that you won't regret it," he said, standing up from the chair, buttoning his coat.

He mocked him with a salute with his fingers, "Think about it, Alessio. I don't offer this to everyone." Saying that he walked out of the hotel room with a smirk on his face.

Let's see till how long you can hide, masked man.