Penthouse Part Three

"Jake, I do not have a boyfriend. Would you mind your own business please? Ugh you are so annoying, where is Karina anyway? Go and bother her?"

As Alana stepped out of the elevator and into her residence, she was engaged in a lively phone conversation. With a sweeping gaze, she took in the pristine foyer, which had just recently filled with wrapped furniture. 

"Why are you answering dad's phone at all? I'd rather speak with him, not you,"

she muttered as she proficiently positioned her cellphone on her shoulder and accessed her key card.

The piercing beep and latch reverberated through the vacant foyer, causing her to pivot and come face-to-face with her new neighbor.

Before her, stood the very man she had vowed never to cross paths with again. He appeared just as taken aback as she was.

Despite the passage of time, his face remained engraved in her memory. The mere thought of him was enough to rob her of a peaceful night's rest, consumed by the fear of an imminent threat to her life. Before her stood a figure of undisputed handsomeness, tall and authoritative. His piercing blue eyes held her in place, rendering her motionless. When she first met him, his dark hair was tousled, but now it was perfectly neat, combed to precision. She couldn't help but notice the rolled-up sleeves, revealing a striking tattoo that served as a reminder of her neighbor's true identity as an intimidating mafia lord.

Jake's sudden appearance on the sidelines startled her.

"Dad is currently in a meeting,hello, Lana..Lana.." he repeated, his voice trailing off as she attempted to capture the attention of her intended recipient.

"Sure, hey can i call you back?". As the call drew to a close, she gently brushed her finger against the screen, murmuring, "Hmm...love you too." She kept her gaze fixed on Xavier, who was standing beside a stunned Rio.

What the actual F....

Once more, she donned her mask of composure and flashed a smile, feigning ignorance of his identity.

"Good Morning"

With a polite greeting, she reached for her keycard and fumbled to scan it. The wait for the green light, indicating a successful unlock, seemed to be going on for an eternity.

The moment the green light appeared, she swiftly opened and promptly closed the door.

"Boss, but was that Dorothy we just saw? "

Tension rippled through his jawline as he clenched his teeth.

With locks cascading down to her shoulders and skin kissed by the sun, he felt compelled to return to the cruise and seek her out in person. It dawned on him that she may have been fearful about his presence, and he was determined to put her fears to rest. However, to his surprise, what awaited him was the woman does not exist, and now, a woman of identical appearance stood before him, yet her given name was not Dorothy. It may have been Alana.

"You may take your leave, as I have some pressing personal affairs that require my attention." 

Rio stood there, scratching his head in contemplation. He was acutely aware that Xavier had no personal matters to attend to. He was expected to be at the office, attending the meeting.

"Boss, it is necessary that you attend the meeting as Lou's reaction to your absence may be severe, he will chopped me in pieces" 

With a piercing gaze, Xavier fixed his eyes on Rio, who trembled at the sight of what appeared to be the devil reincarnated in Xavier's form.

Xavier made his way back to his  residence, ensuring to secure the door with a firm latch before Rio could catch up to him from behind. He stood before the closed door, his face met with an abrupt barrier.

He lifted his hand to knock once more, but ultimately thought better of it.

"Shit!!"

The sudden shift in the Xavier demeanor has left him wondering about the cause. Exasperated, the thought crossed his mind that he must reach out to Lou.

Concerns crept in as he pondered whether Dorothy was indeed her authentic name. Rio's gaze shifted towards the main entrance, his emotions in a state of flux. Xavier had assigned them the mission of locating a certain individual, yet none of them were able to identify a match for the given name.

Upon discovering Benjamin's situation, the boss promptly ceased the search. It is possible that she is neither Dorothy nor his neighbor.

Then, who might Alana be?

He felt the urge to reach out to Lou and apprise him of the situation. The woman in question has stirred up quite a commotion among those around her. One can't help but wonder what kind of substance she is made of.

Alana's heart raced as panic set in, her breaths becoming shallow and restricted once more. She tiptoed towards the door, her movements slow and deliberate, and peered through the peephole, scanning for any sign of movement outside.

She needed to do a major relocating.

In a flurry of movement, she made her way to her room and hastily gathered a bundle of clothing, carelessly tossing it onto her bed. The sudden ring of the doorbell jolted her. With the grace and precision of a ninja, she glided across the floor, her movements silent and calculated. She lowered herself to the ground, crawling with the utmost stealth towards the small hole in the wall. Through the tiny opening, she caught a glimpse of the cleaning crew as they arrived to tidy up her home.

She opened the door with a slow, deliberate motion, gesturing for them to enter before swiftly closing it behind them. Time was of the essence; she had to depart today and take up temporary residence at the hotel. Once the cleaning lady departs, they will hand over her key to the security for inspection.

With only a handful of essentials in mind, she deftly stuffed all of her clothing and necessities into a sleek suitcase before zipping it shut and preparing to depart. Trembling, she was acutely aware that it was only a matter of time before they discovered her place of employment. Fortunately, the work place is in a public setting where the Mafia Lord  in question was not able to do any harm.

With a gracious bow, she expressed her gratitude once more to the cleaning lady who appeared somewhat taken aback by her flustered response.

"Thank you for you hard work,"

"I will remove myself from around you, and as a courtesy, here is an additional key which you could give to the security personnel once you are done. "

In perfect unison, they nodded their heads and replied, "Yes, ma'am."

With a sense of urgency, she hurried towards the main door and cautiously peered through the peephole once more, ensuring that the path ahead was free of any potential obstacles. Once she was certain that no one was present. With a deft twist of the handle, she guided her wheeled baggage out, moving slowly and deliberately. She tiptoed cautiously, shutting the door slowly with her back turned towards Xavier's residence door.

"Are you heading somewhere, not Dorothy? "

Leaning against the door frame, his eyes fixated on her with the intensity of a hawk. With his arms crossed in perfect synchronization with his legs.

Alana feigned deafness as she nonchalantly wheeled her suitcase, beads of sweat forming on her back as her gaze remained fixed on the ever-widening gap between herself and the elevator.

Though her effort was commendable, Xavier refused to let her go. He swiftly grabbed her by the arm and hoisted her onto his broad shoulder, her attempts to punch him in the head, causing him to stumble momentarily. As his grip on her began to loosen, she felt herself almost rolling off his shoulder. However, he quickly caught her and pulled her inside his suite.