Chapter Seven: Another Escape Plan

With the pleasantries done, Luca leads me by my hand once more into the building and towards the elevator. I can still feel eyes watching me as I walk side by side with someone who seems to be a very important person in the company. Still, I keep my cool and look forward. Even if one of these people could save me, I am still with Luca and I am sure that none of these people can stand up to him.

The elevator opens up and we go in with Luca pressing the button for the fourth floor. We go up in silence, our hands still intertwined. In four seconds we reach our destination and we get off the elevator. The hallway we stand in is long and sleek with only two doors in sight. He walks ahead and I follow suit, reaching the door with the big gold plaque on it that says CEO office.

The door opens up and I see a man with short brown hair and chiseled features sitting behind the desk and skimming through some files. The plaque on the desk has the words CEO Klaus Moore on it showing that he was the one in charge. My eyes widen. So, this is the phantom behind the workings of Nexus? The man that no one could seem to find. He really is a son of the Moore family as it was rumored but why is he involved with someone like Luca? I think to myself.

The man looks up with a curious look on his face and acknowledges us.

“Oh. You made it.” He says in a deep voice.

“Yeah. The other contract didn’t pan out like I thought. I came in to sort that out.” Luca explains as he walks towards the desk with his hands reaching for his suit pocket. My eyes watch him, my mind racing at the possibilities of what he plans to do. He’s reaching for something? What is it? I think about what he could be doing when my mind settles on one thing. A gun. Before my brain reacts my mouth speaks.

“Run!” I scream at the top of my lungs, warning Klaus Moore about the danger I sense from Luca.

The two men pause and turn to me, their brows raised in confusion and slight amusement. I speak again. This time to Klaus to make him see reason.

“Run or call security even. He’s not who you think he is. He’ll probably kill you. Hell, he even kidnapped me. He’s with the mafia. You need to get away.” I blurt out, rambling on instead of going straight to the point with my warning.

Klaus eyes me for a moment before turning to Luca and chuckling. He gets up from his seat and walks around the table, his eyes set on me.

“Is she one of the new one’s?” He asks Luca, as he puts his hand on his chin and examines me. My heart drops. New one? What did that mean?

Luca sighs and goes to the head of the desk where he takes the CEO seat. He pulls his hand out from his suit pocket and shows me his phone before placing it on the desk and resting his head in his right hand while he watches me with a small smile.

“It seems like you have no idea what’s going on. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Klaus isn’t the boss here. I am.”

“I don’t understand.” I mutter, my mind drawing a blank at his words.

“Klaus works for me. I’m the real CEO of Nexus.” Luca reveals, his eyes playful.

My mouth drops. He is the real CEO of Nexus. A mafia don runs one of the most wealthy and elusive companies in the world and he does this under the nose of the police. How is this possible?

“Next time don’t run into conclusions little pet.” Luca mentions with a smirk. Luca sighs and turns to Klaus.

“I have a lot of work to do today. Take her to the adjourning office. She’ll stay there until I’m done.” He orders Klaus who smiles at me and gestures for me to walk out of the room. I bite my cheek and bend my head in sheer embarrassment. I just tried to help a man who is involved far deeper with Luca than I imagined. This really wasn’t my day but regardless of the revelation that I just witnessed, I was going to get away from these men sooner or later. Preferably today.

I turn around and follow Klaus out of the room and into the hallway. He walks in front of me without saying a word until we reach the next door.

“That’s my office and that’s yours.” He says as he points to the door by the right of mine with no name on the door.

“You’ll go in there and wait until lunch. Luca will come by your office by then and you can both go out to eat. After that you’ll go back in and wait until the work day is done. Then you can go home. You can’t come out for any reason.” He tells me as he opens the door for me to go in.

I walk into the room without saying anything and look around. The room is big with ceiling to floor glass windows and the light that filtered through illuminating the space brightening the room. I glance at the desk and chair at the foremost back of the room.

“Stay put, Emilia. Luca doesn’t like it when people disobey him. I’m serious. Behave.” Were the last words Klaus tells me before he closes the door behind him. I perk my ears and hear his retreating footsteps. Once they stop to echo within the hallway, I smile to myself and open the door, peeking out to see if I have a clear chance at escape.

My feet take me out of the room before I think about it and soon enough, I am in the elevator heading to the ground floor with a small grin on my face.

The elevator comes to a halt and I step out, putting on a stoic face to avoid suspicion. I move through the lobby with no one being the wiser. The grand doors of the building come into view and I quicken my pace, relief filling me as I get closer to my goal. Freedom. I stretch out my arm ready to touch the handles of the doors and walk out of them but my world comes crumbling down when a strong hand rests on my shoulder stopping me from moving any further.

“Where do you think you’re going, Mrs. Hernandez?” A gruff voice questions me.

I squint my eyes in frustration. Was this how I got caught?