The Mafia & The Billionaire

Alex’s POV

Serene was really strong and tough. She can handle her stepmother and half-sister well. I don’t know how she was friends with the famous fashion designer. Still, I can see that Philip Einspein respected her as a friend and an individual. I can feel that he was close to her, but he was careful at the same time.

When Serene told me about the competition, I made sure to attend it as well. From afar, I watched my wife’s every movement, so I saw her talking to Philip, who offered her to sit on the vacant chair with him. However, Serene declined his offer as she walked with Enzo in the corner, far from him. I saw her texting someone with a smirk on her face.

My focus and attention were not on the competition but on my wife. I have never seen a woman as tough as her, and I don’t know whether I was lucky. When I think about how tough she was, I can also see that she was somewhat submissive to me. Although she talks back to me, she submits to me most of the time.

“Sir, I still couldn’t find anything concrete about Madam,” Cliff said. He was sitting beside me, and it irritated me. I wanted results, and he couldn’t give me that. I massaged the bridge of my nose and calmed myself. I didn’t want him to fear me so he would be able to work properly. Even Von had a hard time finding something out about my wife, so I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“How about her grandparents?” I asked.

“They are not the type to go out and hang out with people. They don’t have any friends in particular, but they were well known in Portico,” he replied.

“How well known?” I asked.

“People there respected them, and no one dared to talk or badmouth their family. They are unfamiliar with Madam but don’t dare say anything that may offend her.” He informed me, and I nodded. “Sir, this is just my opinion, but plausible,” he said, after which I looked at him.

“Portico is a big region. Indeed, people may call it the countryside, but it was a modern region, and Madam’s mom was the locals’ favorite. They said that she was kind and very helpful to them. But they never heard anything about her when she left Portico and lived here.” I looked at him, waiting for another thing he wanted to tell me. “Portico’s government is not as good as we think, but because of madam’s mother, they followed whatever she said,” he added.

I looked at my wife and asked Cliff, “Why did her father return her to her grandparents?”

“Her dad remarried after her mom’s murder. Well, not exactly; Ms. Daisy is a mistress because, for some reason, Lorenzo Dylan couldn’t marry her even until now,” he answered. “I think it was because of the inheritance that Mrs. Dylan left.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am not sure yet, but that’s what I think. I have already asked someone to look into Mrs. Dylan’s will, and once I have my hands on it, I will report it back to you at once.”

“So, my wife has to put up with her father and his mistress and bastard,” I said and then looked at my wife, who looked happy with the designs in front of her. I think she enjoyed the whole competition. I was glad that I sponsored this event. At least I made her happy.

“I think there’s more to it. I investigated and followed Madam’s father, Mr. Lorenzo Dylan, and found out that he was looking for a poor guy that he would make his daughter marry. And that daughter he was referring to is Madam,” he informed me.

“Why a poor guy?” I asked.

“Madam needs to marry a rich man to get her inheritance, which is equivalent to a 57% company share of Serendipity Jewelry,” he answered.

“So she wasn’t lying when she said that,” I muttered to myself and glanced at my wife again, her forehead creased looking at the model on the stage. I wonder what she saw in the design that made her look like that.

“Sir, I think Madam is an important person in Portico. Many men lived in their mansion, but she was not there. Only her grandparents live there. She spent most of her time out of town or the country, and what she did there was unknown.” Cliff informed me, and I nodded.

“What else?”

“She was always with the man beside her and another one named Patt,” he added. I already know about that; even if I was super jealous of them both, I had no way of taking them out of my wife’s life. “Sir, I found this in the neighboring region of Portico. There were rumors that Madam was kind and caring. That’s why I don’t know whether this is true or not. But they say that Madam was the current leader of the strongest organization in Portico.”

Now that’s something new. I looked at Serene, and I couldn’t believe that she was the leader of some sort of organization. “What does her supposed organization do?” I asked,

“Madam was feared, so the only possible activities of her organization were killings and some illegal activities,” he answered truthfully.

“Find out what you need to find out about my wife, and you have to do it as soon as possible,” I told him and left after he nodded. I was married to a leader who did illegal things. All my businesses were legal and bound by law, so I wonder why I don’t care whether she does legal or illegal things at all.

I looked at Serene again, and the commotion was already starting. It appeared that the designer had plagiarized a design from another competition that Philip had also attended to judge. Serene’s half-sister turned out to be the one who plagiarized the design after thoroughly explaining every detail. Just why does she need to be everywhere?

Earlier, when they were trying to intimidate my wife, Serene was so cool and handled them well. I wanted a wife like her, who could not be bullied but had no reason to bully anyone.

With so many people present, I doubt that Serene’s father’s mistress and her sultry daughter retained any dignity following this. Why do they have to do that for themselves? One must know their limitations. Looking at my wife, what was hers? She had been telling me about killings and all, and instead of being afraid of her or for her, I just ignored it and didn’t mind it all.

Her words were harsh, but she looked gentle and calm. I don’t think anyone will think that she could kill a fly. I wouldn’t even believe it, especially when she was in my arms.

After the competition, I decided to show myself. Although I was behind the event, I didn’t want anyone to know about it. I am going to hire the winning designer for my company. That’s why the competition was very stiff, so I asked the organizer to invite Philip Einspein to judge. Interestingly, my wife knew Philip Einspein.

Enzo saw me and bowed his head. He was loyal to my wife and, at the same time, respectful of me. I think he trusts me a bit. Serene looked at me when she noticed what Enzo did, so I approached her.

“Get in my car if you are done here,” I told her, and she just stared at me, then at Enzo and Philip. After a nod from the two, she returned her gaze to me and smiled, saying,

“All right, I am tired too.” I looked at her in disbelief, expecting her to protest and request to stay with Philip for a while. “Lead the way to your car,” she said when I didn’t move, so I walked with her.

I wanted to hold her hands, but I remember her telling me that our marriage was still a secret and that she would use that to her advantage in the future. My wife is shrewd, but not in a bad way, and I like that. I started to like her more, so when we got in the car and Von started driving, I couldn’t help but kiss her. Again, she was surprised but managed to kiss me back.

“I was starting to get used to it,” she said, and I grinned. I like the fierce look on her face. Fuck, is there anything I don’t like about her? This is going to be bad. The great Alexander McGregor has begun to show interest in a woman. It’s not that bad, though, because Serene was already my wife.