Ensnared by Mafia, Days and Nights

After getting himself dressed, Henry Jefferson scooped up Giselle Lambert and carried her to the bathroom to freshen up.

Once he set her down, he leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her as she went about her morning routine.

Giselle detested his gaze, the blatant possessiveness it held.

Gritting her teeth around her toothbrush, she shoved Henry out and slammed the door shut, locking it behind her.

This was the first time anyone had ever dared to give Henry Jefferson the cold shoulder. He took it as a mere tantrum, patiently waiting outside.

After they had breakfast, Giselle stood at the window, watching Henry drive away in his sleek black Porsche Cayenne, slowly leaving the expansive grounds of the estate.

On her first day of confinement, the housekeeper had taken her for a walk around the estate, and initially, Giselle hadn't felt too oppressed.

But after a week of the same routine woken up by Henry to share breakfast, spending aimless days within the confines of the estate, and waiting for Henry to return each evening to spend time together before falling into a fitful sleep. She felt like a prisoner, her spirit on the brink of breaking.

One morning, a week later, Giselle finally snapped.

She needed to get out, to return to school!

She had been avoiding Henry and caring for her ill grandmother, which meant she hadn't been to school in over six months. The school might now assume she had dropped out and could terminate her enrollment. That was unacceptable!

She had to complete her education to secure a good job, earn enough to pay back Henry, and finally free herself from him.

To leave, she needed to ingratiate herself with Henry, yet she knew so little about him...

From the kitchen came the sound of chopping; housekeeper Sophie was preparing lunch.

Giselle walked into the kitchen. "Sophie, can you pack the lunch for me? I need to take it to Henry at the office."

Sophie, elated to see her take such initiative, quickly called Henry's assistant to ask if Giselle could be allowed to go out.

The assistant confirmed a car would be sent to the estate shortly.

"And get some egg mixture ready; I'm going to bake a crème caramel,"

Giselle added before heading to her room to pick out an outfit and put on some makeup.

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The crème caramel was a recipe her grandmother had taught her in her childhood. She hadn't mastered it, as she'd been too playful back then, and now she barely managed a passable version. When adding the sugar, her hand shook, spilling too much.

Unwilling to start over, she simply ignored it, stirring it in and popping it into the oven.

An hour later, Giselle stepped down from the Cayenne, holding a thermos, in front of the towering office building in the heart of Manhattan-a commercial empire built by Henry, about which she had heard much but was visiting for the first time.

The driver escorted her to the CEO's private elevator. "Miss Lambert, please use your fingerprint to activate the elevator. After you exit, turn left; you'll find Mr. Jefferson's office."

Her fingerprint was registered?

When had Henry managed that?

Reaching the top floor, an expansive and vacant private office area awaited her.

Turning left, she approached the CEO's office, and was about to push open the door when she heard a woman's panting.

Pausing, she thought, Henry's desires were insatiable, even in broad daylight.

Hoping this woman could satisfy him so that her own nights might be less torturous, Giselle decided not to interrupt and turned to leave. Just then, she heard Henry's voice: "Throw her out."

The assistant opened the door, dragging out a woman covered in bruises. Giselle gave a small, awkward smile as the assistant noticed her.

The assistant's eyes brightened. "Miss Lambert, Mr. Jefferson has been waiting for you. Please come in."

Seeing the woman's injuries made Giselle shudder as if feeling the pain herself.

Henry was even more ruthless than she had imagined.

She steeled herself and entered. The air was thick with perfume. Henry sat on a leather sofa, his face somber as he pressed a remote, and the windows automatically opened.

Upon seeing Giselle, the menacing aura around him vanished. His eyes softened as he beckoned, "Come here."

Before she could approach, Henry pulled her into his arms, engulfing her in a masculine scent.

He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "Scared?"