Hidden Mafia King and the Fearless CEO

It wasn’t the first time Jenica had seen Alex and Jared talking. But it was only now she realized that in Alex’s presence, Jared’s bravado faded. It looked like Alex had the upper hand against the HQ’s number one enemy. Jenica’s eyes narrowed.

After their conversation, Jared approached her with a smile. “It must be fate that we came to know each other –”

“We’re not done yet,” she interrupted. “We still have business to settle.”

Jared thought for a moment, then grinned widely. “Is it about those poisonous needles?”

“I’m not talking about that,” she said, and in an instant, punched Jared in the face.

“Oww!” he yelped, clutching his bruised face and glaring at her. “Do you still want to fight?!” he shouted angrily. “Alex and I agreed that my forces would stop fighting you. Or do you think my temper will let you trample my face?” he added.

Jenica’s jaw tightened. “You owe me a child.”

Jared was dumbfounded. “What?”

Even Alex’s face darkened. “What child are you talking about, Jenica?” he asked, irritation evident in his tone.

She realized she had used the wrong words.

She cleared her throat. “The capital’s number one syndicate. I want to retrieve a child under them.”

Jared was silent for a few minutes before crossing his arms and smiling. “Tell me the child’s name.”

She took a picture from her pocket and handed it to Jared. “That child. Give me that child, or I won’t let you go,” she said.

Jared raised an eyebrow as he stared at the picture. “The child’s face resembles someone,” he commented.

Jenica looked away. Of course, the child’s look-alike was standing right next to her. And she knew Jared was teasing Alex at that moment.

It was a picture of Shamrock smiling at the camera. Even though the child looked dirty and ragged, the resemblance to Sham was unmistakable. And Jenica knew that under Jared’s keen eyes, he would recognize Sham’s twin at a glance.

“And what do I get in return?” Jared asked with a grin, pocketing the picture and crossing his arms.

Jenica was silent for a few minutes before raising an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

“Well…” he trailed off. He glanced at Alex briefly before looking back at her. “Why don’t you escort me to tomorrow’s birthday banquet?”

Only then did Jenica remember the birthday celebration for the Fuego matriarch at the ancestral house in the capital. She looked at Alex. “But someone was faster than you,” she told Jared before turning back to him. “Even though you’ll help me find that child, it doesn’t mean you and I are friends. You are still the HQ’s number one enemy.”

Jared clicked his tongue. “You said it yourself. My enemy is the HQ, while you are Alex’s woman. Agent J, you need to learn to separate work from personal life. Only then will you find true peace,” he said.

She was about to respond when Alex stepped in front of her and pulled her toward the kitchen. “Get out of my house,” he told Jared without stopping or looking back.

Jenica heard Jared’s faint laughter behind her.

The next day, Jenica prepared for the birthday celebration. She wore a dress that Alex had chosen for her.

It was an aqua blue dress with lace sleeves and collar. At first sight, she liked it. Simple and elegant. Even after all these years, Alex still knew her fashion preferences, and she didn’t know how to feel about that.

“You’re beautiful,” he said after she descended the stairs and stood before him.

She responded with a small smile and took Alex’s arm, leaving the house. The driver greeted them and opened the car door.

After the long drive, Jenica once again faced the imposing Fuego mansion, the second largest mansion in the capital after the president’s palace.

The same imposing aura surrounded the huge mansion. The difference this time was she was entering through the front door. It had been over five years since she first entered the house as a humble ‘helper’ who gathered medical herbs for Alex’s treatment when she was still living in Alex’s house.

“Young Master,” the bodyguard standing outside the main door greeted.

Even though Alex was a full-grown man in his late twenties, the people in the Fuego mansion still called him Young Master out of respect for the current Fuego matriarch. The hierarchy of power was distributed from the older generation, and unless all members of the older generation were buried six feet deep, it was improper for the succeeding generation to be called ‘Master’ or ‘Mistress.’ Still, the power to control the Fuego Empire was in the hands of the current clan leader, Alexander Fuego.

And Alex didn’t mind because a title to him was just a word. What mattered more was the power he held now. To be able to mobilize all the forces of the Fuego Empire throughout the country was a formidable strength that only a few clans could contend with. An example was the Guam Business Empire, which was on equal footing with the Fuego Empire in terms of assets and influence.

It was said that of all the clans headquartered in the capital, only the eccentric Guam clan could contend with the Fuegos.

While the Fuego Empire’s influence extended throughout the country, the Guam Business Empire extended its influence to other countries. And while the Fuego enjoyed the resounding fame as the number one family in the capital, Guam was a hidden dragon, away from the spotlight.

The masses might not know how formidable the Guam Business Empire was, but the elite circle in the capital knew the power of these two powerful clans.

The reason these two clans didn’t devour each other was because their spheres of influence were different. The Fuego Empire held almost half of the country’s economy, while the Guam Business Empire shook the economies of neighboring countries. And up until now, no one dared to measure the wealth accumulated by the Guams.

Even so, the Fuego and the entire elite circle acknowledged the power of the Guam family, which was why the current head of the Guam Business Empire was invited to the birthday celebration.

If Jenica knew that someone from her past was attending the party, she would not have hesitated to decline Alex’s request to bring her along. But alas, it was too late.

A man in his 50s slowly walked towards the unsuspecting couple. With a gentle smile on his face, neither humble nor arrogant, he greeted Alex. “It’s great to see you in person, Mr. Alexander Fuego. I’ve heard a lot about you.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.