CHAPTER 36: I HAVE A JOB FOR YOU.

Claudia sat in the VIP section of the club, her fingers drumming against the glass table in anxiety. The music downstairs was loud, mixing with the screams and jubilation of the people, but up where Claudia was, it was quiet and more private. Even at that, she hated clubs for some odd reasons. If she wasn’t desperate to meet someone like Sandro without raising any suspicion, she wouldn’t have been here in the first place.

She glanced at her expensive wrist watch after waiting for some time and irritation bubbled under her skin. For how long did she have to wait for him? Of course she would have to wait till eternity, since the idiot only valued his time and not someone else’s.

Sighing, Claudia reached for the glass of wine on the table, and just then, the door opened. She raised her head and when she saw him, her irritation turned into shock. Sandro strolled in, his masculine face completely uncovered. He didn’t even wear a cap to hide his red hair that was now the face of the whole state.

"Are you insane?" Claudia hissed, abruptly standing up.

Sandro didn’t flinch. He just sauntered over, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket, then plopped down on the couch across her. "Relax," he said, smirking. "Nobody is looking for me here."

"Relax? You walk into a public place looking like that, and you want me to relax? You’re a wanted man, Sandro. Do you have any idea what would happen if someone recognized you?"

He shrugged, clearly unfazed. "If anyone here recognizes me, they won’t be alive long enough to do anything about it."

Of course he was right, and it unsettled Claudia that he was arrogant about it. But she said nothing to it and slowly sat down, taking a deep breath to compose herself.

"Why are you here? You don’t always call me unless it’s important," Sandro said, leaning back on the couch as though he owned it.

Hearing that, Claudia quickly remembered the reason why she was there. She reached for her bag, pulled out a picture and slammed it on the table in between them. "There is a job for you and it’s important."

Sandro raised a brow as he picked up the picture. And upon seeing the portrait, his smirk returned almost instantly.

"She is beautiful," he confessed.

Claudia’s chest tightened. "I never asked you to tell me that," she snapped. "It’s a job and I expect you to do it perfectly."

Sandro chuckled, setting the photo back on the table. "Touchy, aren’t we?"

"I’m not joking. This isn’t one of your sloppy back-alley gigs. I don’t want excuses or mistakes. I want this done quietly and without any loose ends. Do you understand me?"

"I get it. You want it perfect. Consider it done," Sandro grinned, showing his ugly set of teeth.

Claudia almost rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn’t trust Sandro’s nonchalant attitude, but she knew his reputation. He was good at what he did, and therefore, she didn’t have to worry about it.

"Good," she said, raising up. "I will be in touch, and make sure you don’t screw up, otherwise it won’t just be your face on a wanted poster. It will be your grave they are digging."

Sandro’s grin deepened. "Don’t worry, My Queen, you won’t regret it."

Casting one last glance at him, Claudia grabbed her bag and walked out through the door.

As she reached the parking lot, a little smile tugged at her lips, and she whispered, "Anna, oh, Anna. Trust me, you won’t survive this time."

****

Back at the mansion, Alexander and Ethan were both busy in the Study. Ethan was writing a presentation for the new policy in George’s formal Travel agency that now belonged to Alexander, while Alexander was working on his laptop.

It was deadly silent, until Ethan decided to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.

"What if George still refused to sell the estate to you, would you really kill your wife?" Ethan asked, staring at him for a response.

"Why ask?"

"Because... that’s going overboard. Killing her won’t..."

"Are you with me or against me?" Alexander interrupted him, irritation clear in his tone.

"Sure... I’m with you..."

"It doesn’t seem like it. You’re taking a step back from everything we planned. Tell me, do you feel pity for her now?"

Ethan scratched the back of his head, unable to answer immediately. Lately, Alexander noticed Ethan had become quite hesitant to do things whenever it concerned Anna, but that wasn’t what annoyed him, it was Ethan thinking murdering his wife was even a question. He thought Ethan knew him. They have known each other for a long time. And it still surprised him that Ethan thought he didn’t change, that he could still kill anyone. He wanted to know how Ethan truly saw him.

So he closed the laptop to get a better view at Ethan, then asked, "Ethan, do you honestly think I will kill her?"

Ethan looked taken aback by the question, then he shrugged and answered carefully, "yes... if you feel like it."

Alexander couldn’t believe his ears. How could Ethan believe he could kill Anna if he feels like it?

"Do I look like a killer to you, Ethan?"

"No... boss." He shook his head. "However, you once were... But I know you never killed the innocent. Those people were just bad guys... so you did everyone a favor."

Alexander brows furrowed. Was he trying to comfort him?

"If you know I never killed anyone innocent, why do you think I would kill my wife then?"

"Because she isn’t entirely innocent, at least not to you. She is the daughter of your enemy. Her father’s blood runs in her veins."

Right. She wasn’t completely innocent. But that didn’t mean he would kill her. He only said that to scare her and her father to sell the estate to him.

And it worked on her, but her father... Alexander wasn’t so sure. George didn’t care about her after all. She was just too naive not to see it. Or perhaps she was looking out for her family because she hated him. Either way, he wouldn’t touch her, but he wouldn’t feel pity for her and abandoned all he had planned for ten years.

She should get used to it.