I Went on a Blind Date for My Best Friend and Became the Mafia Heir’s Favorite

On the day the heir to a mafia family was supposed to meet my best friend in person, she shoved me forward. I stared at her. “He’s your online boyfriend. Why should I go?” She smiled without a hint of shame. “I don’t want to waste the best years of my life on a cripple! Besides, I’ve been sending him your pictures for the past two months.” I opened my mouth to curse her out, but translucent comments suddenly drifted across my vision: [Why did the female lead give this chance to that scheming supporting female character?! Gus’ legs are about to heal, and he’s worth $20 billion!] [Relax. He only loves the female lead. He wouldn’t give that supporting female side character a second glance. He’ll toss her $200 million and send her packing!] Pay me off with $200 million and send me packing? As a captivating beauty with a naturally alluring scent, adored by everyone but desperately short on cash, I swallowed hard and pushed the door open. “Mr. Cooper, did you bring what we need to get married? I’m in a bit of a hurry.” Chapter 1 The moment the words left my mouth, the private room fell deathly silent. Lucas Chandler, the assistant standing behind the wheelchair, nearly bugged his eyes out. He stared at me as if I were crazy. Who in Riverdale didn’t know Gus Cooper? He had power in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. He was ruthless and killed without batting an eye. If it weren’t for that $200 million, I wouldn’t have dared approach him even if someone had given me the courage. The comments went wild before my eyes. [What the hell?! Has this supporting female side character lost her mind? How dare she talk to the heir to a mafia family like that?!] [This is bad! Gus hates gold diggers. He’ll definitely have Lucas dump her in the river to feed the fish!] [Where’s the person who said he’d pay her $200 million to leave? Come out and take your beating! This is clearly a death sentence!] My heart tightened as I read. Had the comments lied to me? Did Gus have no intention of throwing money at me? Did he want to use it to buy my life? I instinctively took a small step back, already turning my toes toward the door. The moment he said the word, I’d sprint out of there. Gus casually snapped the cigarette in his hand and tossed it onto the table. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze settling on my face. The distance between us closed. I heard him let out a cold laugh. “Are you that short on money?” His voice was low and husky, with a dangerous chill to it. My scalp prickled, but I still forced myself to nod. “I am.” “Short on money enough to risk your life?” “I do want to live,” I said honestly. “But for enough money, I might be willing to take the risk.” Lucas sucked in a sharp breath. Gus suddenly went still. He stared at me, the tip of his nose twitching almost imperceptibly. I was born with a soft, milky-sweet scent, and it grew stronger whenever I got hot and sweaty. My palms were sweating from nerves now, so the sweet scent naturally drifted toward him. Some of the gloom in Gus’ eyes seemed to lift. He watched me stare fixedly at his wallet, looking like a total money-grubber, and the faintest smile tugged at his lips. “I brought it.” I blinked. “Brought what?” “The paperwork.” Gus leaned back in his wheelchair, his tone casual. “We can get married. I’ll give you $200 million as a wedding gift.” The private room fell silent again. Lucas’ jaw dropped all the way to the floor. “M-Mr. Cooper?” The comments went wild too. [Am I seeing things? Gus actually agreed?!] [He’s not paying off a beggar. He’s handing over his entire fortune!] [Weren’t we told he was cold, ruthless, and uninterested in women? Why is he practically throwing $200 million at her?] My head buzzed. All I could think about was the $200 million. “Sign this.” Gus pushed a contract toward me. I couldn’t even make out what it said. I grabbed the pen and signed “Stella Hayes” in big letters. The moment I finished, my phone chimed. I looked down and saw a bank deposit notification. I counted the zeros until my eyes crossed. Two hundred million dollars! I was so thrilled I nearly dropped to my knees and thanked Gus on the spot. Chapter 2 “Let’s go.” Gus spoke calmly. “We’re going to the city hall.” Half an hour later, I sat in Gus’ Rolls-Royce, clutching our marriage certificate. I still felt like I was floating on a cloud. How had I, Stella Hayes—a no-name model three months behind on rent and too broke to afford anything but plain toast—become the wife of a man worth $20 billion? I secretly pinched my thigh. Ow. That hurt. I wasn’t dreaming. I turned to look at Gus beside me. He had his eyes closed, resting. His profile was sharply defined and cold, radiating an unmistakable stay-away-from-me chill. He seemed to sense me staring and suddenly opened his eyes. “What are you looking at?” I guiltily looked away and gave a nervous laugh. “My new favorite ATM—no, my husband.” Gus let out a quiet scoff but didn’t respond. On my first day at the Cooper estate, I made up my mind. I had to keep Gus happy. At least long enough to make sure he wouldn’t ask for the $200 million back. After dinner, Gus went to his study to work on some documents. I carried in a cup of warm milk and slipped inside as quietly as I could. “Mr. Cooper, have some milk.” I set the cup on his desk with an ingratiating smile. Gus looked up from his papers and fixed his gaze on me. “People don’t do favors for nothing.” His tone was mild. “What do you want?” I immediately shook my head, all noble sincerity. “I just want to show some concern for my lawful husband.” Gus gave a soft, derisive laugh and didn’t take the bait. My eyes darted around, then settled on his legs beneath the blanket. The comments said his legs would be healed next month. He was recovering now. “Mr. Cooper, are your legs sore? Want me to give them a massage?” I didn’t wait for him to refuse. I crouched beside his wheelchair and started massaging his legs. Gus went rigid. “Let go.” His voice dropped, edged with warning. I ignored him and even pressed a little harder. “Come on, don’t be shy. I’m sure the doctor said you need regular massages, or your muscles could waste away.” I kept chattering as I worked my way up from his calves. Gus’s muscles were firm. Even in the wheelchair, I could feel the strength coiled beneath them. As I massaged his legs, my hand slipped. My fingertips brushed the skin high on his thigh, near his groin. Gus sucked in a sharp breath. He grabbed my wrist, his grip astonishingly strong. “Stella Hayes.” He said my name through clenched teeth, the last syllable trembling almost imperceptibly. I jumped and looked up at him. Only then did I notice that his usually icy face had taken on a faint flush. Even the tips of his ears had turned red. His deep-set eyes burned with a dark fire I couldn’t understand. The comments exploded. [Ahhhhh! Where did she touch him?! What could our precious VIP viewers possibly be forbidden from seeing?!] [The big shot is blushing! He’s actually blushing!] [Cold and ruthless on the outside, shy and sensitive underneath. I’m already shipping them over that contrast!] [That supporting female side character is doing great! Keep flirting with him!] I swallowed and tried to pull my hand free. “Um... I didn’t mean to.” Gus stared at me, his breathing slightly heavier. After a long moment, he released my wrist and turned his face away. “Keep going.” His voice was terribly hoarse. I froze. “Huh?” “Weren’t you going to massage my legs?” He kept a stern expression, but the redness in his ears hadn’t faded. “Continue.” So, I grudgingly went back to being his unpaid masseuse. After massaging his legs for half an hour, my arms were so sore I could barely lift them. While he rested with his eyes closed, I muttered under my breath, “This money is hard to earn.” The moment the words left my mouth, Gus opened his eyes. He pulled open a drawer, pinched a black card between two long fingers, and tossed it into my lap. Chapter 3 “What do you mean?” I stared at the card, completely baffled. “You don’t have to work for it.” Gus closed his eyes again, his voice returning to its usual cool indifference. “Spend whatever you want.” I sucked in a sharp breath. An unlimited black card! The legendary kind of card that could buy an entire island! I was so excited I nearly jumped. I hugged the card and planted a big kiss on it. “Thank you, my hubby! You’re so handsome!” The corner of Gus’ mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, but he ignored me. The comments drifted past. [Oh my God! The big shot fell for her that fast?] [$200 million wasn’t enough—he had to throw in an unlimited black card too?] [In the original story, the female lead didn’t get this black card until the very end. How did the supporting female side character get it on day two?] [There’s something inexplicably lucky about this supporting female side character.] I hugged the black card, practically bubbling with joy. Early the next morning, I headed straight for the fanciest luxury mall in Riverdale. What was the point of having money if I didn’t spend it? I walked into a high-end handbag boutique in my heels. “This one, this one, and that one. Wrap them all up for me.” I pointed to several limited-edition bags, brimming with confidence. The sales associate’s eyes lit up, and she hurried over to pack them. Just then, a sharp female voice rang out behind me. “Stella?” I turned around. Sutton Taylor stood in the doorway, arm in arm with a middle-aged man with a large belly. She stared at the bags I was buying, then at the black card on the counter. Jealousy practically poured from her eyes. “Where did you get the money to buy all this?” She strode over in her heels, her voice full of accusation. She glanced at the man beside her, then back at me, and suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Stella, don’t tell me you’ve been keeping a sugar daddy behind my back?” Her voice carried through the store, and everyone turned to look. I let out a cold laugh and was about to fire back. Then the comments drifted past. [Sutton was green with jealousy. She still had no idea the supporting female character was spending money from the disabled big shot she’d looked down on!] [She’d regret it so much once she learned the truth!] I looked at Sutton’s face and felt a surge of satisfaction. “I’m spending my husband’s money. That’s perfectly natural.” I took the shopping bags from the sales associate and deliberately swung them in front of Sutton. “Your disabled online boyfriend gave them to me. He gave me an unlimited black card. I can spend as much as I want.” Sutton’s face turned livid. She glared at me as if she wanted to devour me alive. I ignored Sutton’s murderous glare and strode out in my heels without looking back. Then I went straight to my old modeling agency. I wanted to terminate my contract. The owner, Warren Brooks, sat behind his desk. His heavyset face looked mean. “You want to terminate your contract? Sure!” He gave a cold laugh, his fleshy cheeks quivering. “Pay me $100,000 in penalties, or you can forget about working in this industry again!” I laughed in disbelief. “Mr. Brooks, you haven’t even paid me my full base salary in the past two years, and now you expect me to pay you $100,000?” “The contract is clear. If you don’t pay, you can forget about working in this industry!” He stood and gave me a leering once-over. “But if you’re willing to have dinner with Mr. Lewis, I might be willing to pay the penalty for you…” I felt sick. I was just reaching for the black card Gus gave me, ready to smack Warren in the face with it. “Bang!” Someone kicked the office door open. Lucas strode in with two bodyguards, his expression unreadable. Warren jumped. “W-Who are you?” Lucas didn’t even look at him. He walked over to me and inclined his head. “Mrs. Cooper, Mr. Cooper was worried you might have trouble handling this, so he sent me to check on you.” Then he turned to Warren. He pulled a check from his suit pocket and slapped it against Warren’s face. “Two hundred thousand. Her contract is terminated.” Lucas’ voice was icy. “And these are endorsement contracts for three luxury brands under Cooper Group.” Chapter 4 He handed me three contracts edged in gold. “Mr. Cooper said no one who gets in Mrs. Cooper’s way would have a place in Riverdale.” Warren’s knees buckled, and he collapsed into his chair. When he saw the $200,000 check and the Cooper Group seal, his face turned deathly pale. He didn’t dare utter a peep. I stared at the three luxury brand endorsement deals in my hands, my heart pounding with excitement. These were opportunities I’d never even dared dream of! Gus was amazing! Overcome with happiness, I turned and threw my arms around Lucas’. “Lucas! You’re my hero! Please thank Mr. Cooper for me—” I didn’t get to finish. A faint rumble came from the wheelchair outside the office as its wheels rolled over the carpet. I froze and turned to look. Gus was sitting in his wheelchair just outside the door. He was watching me with my arms around Lucas. His expression darkened in an instant. The temperature seemed to plummet, and the whole hallway felt frozen. Lucas looked terrified. He yanked his arm free and sprang several feet away. “M-Mr. Cooper! Please, let me explain!” Gus didn’t say a word. He gave me a cold look, turned his wheelchair around, and wheeled away. I was doomed. My heart sank. The big shot was jealous. The comments flooded the screen. [What the hell! We’ve got a love triangle showdown!] [His wife is hugging another man right in front of him. The mafia heir is about to kill someone!] [Lucas is in danger! There’ll be another body in Riverdale tonight!] [That look from Gus reeks of jealousy. I can practically smell it through the screen!] I hurried after him and followed him into the car. Gus didn’t say a word on the drive back to the estate. He kept his eyes closed and didn’t spare me a glance. I tried to strike up a conversation. “Honey, thanks for today…” No response. “Honey, were you mad just now?” Still no response. When we got home, Gus went straight into his study and locked the door. The silent treatment. A one-sided silent treatment. He ignored me all day. He even sent back the strawberry cake I’d made for him, untouched. I was frantic. He was my sugar daddy. What if he got so mad he demanded the $200 million back? No, I had to make it up to him! At ten that night, I crouched outside his study with a glass of warm water. “Mr. Cooper, I’m sorry.” I made my voice soft and sweet, with a little wounded whine. “I was just too excited today. I swear, I only hugged Lucas’ sleeve. I didn’t touch him at all!” There was no response from inside. I kept pleading sweetly. “Come on, honey, talk to me. From now on, I’ll only hug you. How about that? “If you won’t see me, I’ll sleep right here outside your door tonight.” My legs had gone numb from crouching, and I was just about to shift position. Click. The study door opened. Gus sat in his wheelchair, looking down at me. The gloom in his eyes had eased a little, but his expression remained tense. “You’ll only hug me?” His voice was a little hoarse as he stared at me intently. I nodded so vigorously my head bobbed. “Yes, yes, only you!” Gus’ Adam’s apple bobbed. The next morning, Gus and I had just pulled up at a busy spot downtown. I’d barely stepped out of the supercar when someone rushed over and grabbed the door, blocking my way. I took a closer look. It was Sutton. She grabbed the supercar’s door and blocked my way. “Stella! Have you no shame?!”