The Don and His Diva

"Hello, there," the man chirped. His face was covered by a mask.

Maril tried to make a dash. But the man was quicker than her and cut off her path of escape.

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked playfully.

Maril didn't miss the mischief in his tone. But she didn't give a second thought to it. Her priority was to escape first, everything else could go to hell.

If running didn't work, she could always resort to violence. 'I'm sorry, I'll have to hurt you,' she silently apologized in advance before she attacked. She lifted her hand to punch him. But the man stopped her before her fist landed on his face.

Everything happened in a flash. One moment she was facing him with her fist blocked by him, and the next instant, she was turned around, and her hands were cuffed.

"Good try, lady. But you are still a noob before me," Luca remarked as he lightly pushed her inside the building.

"Do not hurt her!" Rhysand warned him through the earpiece and Luca's hold on her turned gentle.

Maril struggled to get out of his hold. She could still not believe that she had been captured this easily. "I'm not your foe, you idiot. Let go of me." She tried to reason with him and resisted moving.

"My Boss will decide that. Now, get moving." He once again pushed her lightly and picked up the file she had so beautifully thrown on the desk on the way.

Elise's heartbeat spiked when she saw his actions.

'Don't tell me he thinks I stole that file.' Her eyes were quivering wildly in panic. But since they were hidden behind the sunglasses, she concealed her uneasiness well and pretended to be calm.

"Mister, I think you're mistaken."

"I am not. Save your energy, lady. You may need it when you meet my Boss."

Maril rolled her eyes in dismay. 'Is your Boss Rhysand Moretti or what? Who are you trying to scare, Mister?' she thought.

Even though she was worried, it was only because she didn't want to invite trouble for herself. Since the man refused to let her go, she could only accept defeat and meet his Boss.

'Maybe he'll listen to my explanation,' she hoped and did as she was asked.

Luca looked at the lady suspiciously, especially when she entered the elevator without picking up a fight. 'Why is she suddenly so cooperative? What's wrong with her?' he wondered as he pressed the button for the top floor.

Maril oddly became calm while her mind started to formulate plans to escape her predicament. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice they had arrived at the top floor. Only when she felt the man beside her push her, she snapped out of her thoughts.

"You better behave," he warned her as he led her to the only office room on the floor.

Maril scowled but she didn't speak a word.

Luca opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Glaring at him through her glasses, she entered the office room.

"Boss, I caught a suspicious lady lingering around the entrance doors, and she had this file with her. I suspect she must have stolen it."

"I didn't steal the file," Maril almost shouted to defend herself. "I didn't steal anything. I was just returning the file to where it belonged."

"There is no use glaring at me, lady. You may argue and defend however you want before my Boss. He'll decide if you're guilty or not." Luca gave her a calm look before he glanced at his Boss sitting on the chair with his back facing them.

"Boss, what do we do with her?"

The man on the chair suddenly turned around and Maril almost felt her heart leave her chest. Although he was also wearing a mask, his aura was completely different from that of the man beside her. It was as if he was the king and the world bowed to him. His temperament was so strong that her mind went blank. She could think of nothing, do nothing, and see nothing else. All she had in her eyes was the masked man who held all the reigns in the room.

"You may leave." Rhysand flicked his wrist at Luca and the man bowed at him lightly before leaving the office. Now, it was just him and the lady who had intrigued him more than he could comprehend.

"Speak." He unknowingly softened his tone.

But it still sounded like a command to Maril, and she gaped at him. Her mind was still a mess, and it didn't register to her what he was referring to.

"Lady, are you listening to me?" Rhysand was filled with amusement. But he didn't show it in his voice and maintained a cold and intimidating temperament. "Will you start speaking or do you want me to..."

Finally, the threat registered in her mind and Maril broke out of her trance. "I will speak! I will speak!" she interrupted him immediately. "I didn't steal the file. I swear."

"Then, how did the file land in your hands?" Rhysand tilted his head and looked at her. But her features were well hidden behind her attire. She was completely covered in black, from head to toe.

"I...I..." Maril hesitated, not knowing how and from where to start. 'How do I tell him I kidnapped the man who stole the file? It sounds ridiculous to me. I am certain it'll be the same for him. He may even think me to be an idiot.'

Seeing her dither, Rhysand's lips curled up into a mischievous smile. He was loving everything that was transpiring between them. For the first time in his life, he felt joy not by killing or threatening people, but by teasing a lady he was meeting for the first time.

"I am waiting, lady."

"I took this from the man who stole the file from your office." Maril finally decided to be honest.

"Did you say someone else stole this file, and it was not you?"

Maril nodded.

"And who might that be?"

If Maril had been in her right state, she would have realized that the man was oddly calm. For someone who had just been informed that a confidential document had been stolen from his office, his reaction was not normal.

Alas, Maril was not in her right state of mind. So, she overlooked this minor flaw.

"It was one of the janitors. He stole the file and I happened to come across it. I came here to return the file." Maril didn't divulge more and waited for the man to speak.

"Why should I believe you?" Rhysand believed her even before she answered him. He knew the complete truth, including all that she had not told him.

"I have no reason to lie to you," Maril replied, not having anything else to say.

Rhysand almost burst out laughing at her innocent words. But he controlled himself in time.

"This file contains confidential information. Once you gain access to it, you can do anything with it."

"Correct. But how can I gain access to the file? I don't even work here," Maril argued. She was slowly losing her temper, which was evident in her tone.

"What if an employee handed it over to you?" Rhysand didn't let go and continued to rile her up.

"Look, I didn't steal this file. It's now up to you whether you want to believe me or not." Maril was livid. The man was getting on her nerves and she was in no mood to play along. She was done arguing with him.

Rhysand went silent. Even his smile vanished when he saw that she was now ignoring him. 'Did I cross a line there?' he wondered as he studied her. He was so caught away by the lady and the breath of fresh air around her, which in his life was quite rare, that he didn't realize what he was doing.

Guilt filled him and he pursed his lips apologetically. It was time to end the game. He was done playing as well.

"I may believe you, lady," he said all of a sudden, gaining the woman's attention to him. Even with the sunglasses covering her eyes, he could discern she was staring at him and listening intently to him.

"I have a condition though."

"What condition?" Maril asked skeptically.

"Reveal your face to me and I will believe you."