Russian Mafia Billionaire’s Secretary Read online

  Russian Mafia Billionaire’s Secretary

  By: Leona Lee

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright 2016 Leona Lee

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

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  Chapter One

  Alanna Vella rubbed her eyes impatiently. She had been staring intently at her laptop for hours, as she scoured the job boards for secretarial or assistant positions that paid more than barely above minimum wage. Living in New York City was expensive no matter which borough you resided in. Several times over the past few months, she contemplated moving elsewhere, but at close to thirty and with a young child, she wasn’t sure she was up to starting over. Besides, she loved her city and she wasn’t prepared to admit defeat. At least, not yet.

  Turning back to her current job search, she clicked refresh and was pleased to see a new job posted. Reading the lengthy job description for the secretarial position for a busy executive, her eyes widened when she read the salary offered.

  She thought about how her savings had dwindled down to almost nothing these past few months and how quickly she could replenish it again.

  “Found one!” she announced to her sister, Alyssa, as she tucked her long, curly red hair behind her ears. She studied the listing, as Alyssa appeared behind her to look over her shoulder at the ad.

  “Ooh, this looks like a good one,” her sister commented excitedly, as she rested her hand on Alanna’s shoulder. “Fifty thousand a year to start? Holy crap! What kind of a company is it?”

  “I haven’t checked yet. Let me do a quick search.” Typing in “Denisov International”, she pulled up numerous pages citing the company’s financial growth. Finding the website for the company, she clicked on it as her sister read over her shoulder.

  “What kind of a company is it?” her sister asked impatiently.

  Clicking through the services section, “It says that they’re a shipping company?”

  “What’s that?”

  Reading from the website, Alanna described the company’s services for potential clients. “From the looks of it, most of their clients are outside the US and they ship ‘commodities’ to the US. I can’t tell if any of their clients ship from the US to other countries.”

  “Oh, maybe you’ll get to travel. That would be exciting. Wait! Who is that a picture of?”

  Clicking on the picture her sister pointed to, Alanna pulled up a photo of Alexander Denisov. “He’s the CEO.” She read from his bio, as her sister leaned closer to look at his image on the laptop.

  “He’s gorgeous. He could be a model.”

  “He’s probably married with four kids,” Alanna teased as she looked at the photo of the handsome executive.

  “Maybe he’s single. You are applying for the job, right?” her sister demanded as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

  “Right this minute.” Toggling over to her desktop, she began searching for her resume. “Just think, Lys, if I get this job, we won’t have to take any more out of savings.”

  “I wish I made more money at the department store, but only working part-time kind of sucks. Maybe I should ask for more hours.”

  “I keep telling you, just worry about getting through college. The rest will come later,” Alanna assured her sister.

  “I know, I hate the thought of you having to carry the financial load when I should be helping,” Alyssa revealed with a sad look on her face.

  “Hey, what are big sisters for? Besides, once you become a highly sought after attorney and make partner, I’m retiring,” she teased.

  Laughing, her sister hugged her. “Deal.”

  Alanna opened the file with her resume, went over the details of her previous jobs with a fine-toothed comb making changes to match the job listing, and when satisfied, she attached it to the email.

  She feverishly typed out a cover letter to show interest in the company’s open position. She hoped her desperation didn’t show in her words, but at the moment, she didn’t care. She’d been offered a receptionist position at a local law firm, but at only twenty-four thousand a year and no benefits for the first year, she’d have to look for a second job to make ends meet.

  Her hopes had been dashed in the past, but she tried to remain positive. She clicked her mouse and attached the resume and cover letter. She typed out a quick introduction in the email itself and clicked the ‘send’ button.

  “Now, we wait and see if they want to give me an interview,” Alanna said aloud, as she closed her laptop.

  “Yeah, and let’s hope it doesn’t turn out like your last job. That guy took advantage of you and he barely paid enough to cover rent and food.”

  “I know, I know, hopefully this one will be different. It looks promising,” Alanna grumbled. “It says they need a hands-on secretary for a busy executive.”

  “Let’s hope,” Alyssa agreed. She picked up Roman, kissed his head and promised she’d see him later. Grabbing her bag, she stuffed her textbook and phone into it. “Okay, I’m off.”

  “Wish me luck with the whole job thing,” Alanna pleaded, but sensed her own defeat.

  “Good luck, and hey, keep me posted.” She gave her a thumbs-up motion and Alyssa disappeared out of the door.

  Alanna marveled at her three-year-old son’s lack of awareness at all of the problems that had mounted around all of them. She scooped him up into her arms as she selfishly comforted herself with his presence while he wiggled impatiently.

  She thought about her ex-boyfriend and how everything had been so perfect between them; at least until she found out she was pregnant. She hadn’t intended to get pregnant. In fact, she’d been on birth control, but when she started feeling sick and then missed two periods, she knew something was up. Three home pregnancy tests and a trip to the doctor finally sealed the deal.

  While they had never talked about having children, in the five years they were together, he never once mentioned that he didn’t want any. She was heartbroken when she excitedly told him the news and he asked when she was going to have an abortion. When she told him she was going to keep the baby, he walked out of their shared apartment and didn’t return that evening. She worked late the next day and by the time she returned home, he had moved out and she never saw him again. She wasn’t even sure he was still in New York.

  Luckily, her sister had just been accepted to Columbia and together they looked for a place that would be appropriate for a future toddler. If it hadn’t been for Alyssa, Alanna didn’t think she would have been able to cope with everything. She shook her head at the thought, but Roman’s words snapped her back into the moment.

  “Put me down, mommy, I’m not a baby!” Roman urged his mother in his cute little demanding voice.
Alanna released her son onto the floor and sat down on the couch as he played in front of her.

  Alanna let her problems weigh heavily on her as she contemplated dipping into her savings account. Raised by grandparents who were a product of the Depression, they had taught the sisters to be frugal and not accumulate debt. Thanks to their teachings, she managed to save a little over twenty thousand dollars, but since she’d been out of work these last three months, the bills were making a huge hole in her savings. Her unemployment benefits helped offset the monthly expenses, but with Alyssa’s college tuition, it wouldn’t last much longer if she didn’t find a decent paying job.

  “Persevere,” she told herself as she mindlessly changed channels on the television while her young son opened his coloring book. He scribbled inside the book and caught her attention.

  “Look, mommy, I colored a giraffe!” he announced as he held the book up for Alanna’s approval. He quickly moved from coloring to toys, but she continued to stare blindly at the television.

  “I really need to get this job,” she whispered to herself. Not one to allow herself to remain down for too long, she held out hope that something good was still around the corner.

  The morning turned to afternoon as Alanna and Roman kept each other company. She longed for some adult conversation as she changed the television channel to cartoons. She promised herself that she’d watch daytime talk shows when Roman nodded off, but it proved to be a losing battle. He had yet to burn off some of his high energy and it didn’t look like she was going to get him to take a nap.

  She felt useless, bored and without purpose. She sat on her couch with her laptop open as she looked for more job openings where she could match her skills.

  Alyssa grabbed her phone and called her best friend, Tina. As a hiring manager for a local law firm, Tina seemed to be able to find people jobs on a whim.

  “Hey girl, it’s Alanna,” she said into the phone.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “I’m desperate and wanted to know if you had any secretarial jobs open,” Alanna admitted to her friend as she paced back and forth.

  “I know that there’s a receptionist position here. Would that work?” Alanna shook her head; she knew the pay wasn’t going to be sufficient.

  “Nothing in the administrative area?” she questioned Tina.

  “Not that I know of, but I can keep an eye out for you,” Tina assured her. Alanna nodded, but she needed something sooner rather than later.

  “Thank you for checking,” Alanna told her as she tried keeping her tone upbeat.

  “Of course, lady, anytime. Besides, we need to hang out sometime soon.”

  “Agreed.” Alanna gazed down at Roman. She disconnected the call and slid down to the floor. She sat behind her son and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. If someone were to ask her thoughts on being a single mom ten years ago, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine her life, but at twenty-eight, having Roman was the best decision she ever made, even if his father was absent. She simply couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.

  “Ahh!” he yelled and then giggled. He got up and ran to another room as if his mother chased him. She sprang to her feet and followed him as he ran back and forth from his room to the living room in a mad game of tag that left them both tired and laughing.

  Once Roman had settled for the night, Alanna sat up in bed scrolling back through the list of job openings hoping that a new one might have been posted. She contemplated hiring someone to help her land a job but couldn’t see spending the money if there was no guarantee.

  Sighing, Alanna closed her laptop and placed it on her nightstand. Tomorrow was another day, she told herself optimistically. Turning out the lights, she took a deep breath letting it out slowly. The apartment was quiet enough to hear a pin drop and as soon as her head hit her soft pillow, she nodded off to sleep.

  In the middle of the night, she awakened as a street light shined in on her from the outside world. The place was quiet and everyone around her slept, but more sleep evaded her grasp.

  She grabbed her cell phone off her nightstand and pulled up Denisov International. She looked at the photo of the company’s CEO. Her sister was right, he was definitely good looking. A quick search online pulled up some candid shots of him and she sucked in her breath at his good looks. She silently scolded herself that if she was lucky enough to get hired at his company, the money she would earn would be for her family. Now was not the time to contemplate a relationship with anyone. When she decided to become a single mom, she knew there would be sacrifices. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, Alanna awakened to the sound of her phone. Sitting up in bed, she picked it up and squinted at the unknown number. It was only eight in the morning, so she considered ignoring the call and falling back asleep.

  “Who could this be?” she said to herself as she tried to figure out who the number belonged to. Feeling groggy, she rubbed her eyes, yawned and exhaled loudly before hitting the ‘answer’ button on her phone.

  “Hello?” she asked into her cell phone as she heard her upstairs neighbors clamoring above her head.

  “Yes, may I speak with Alanna Vella, please?” a woman with a foreign accent asked politely.

  “This is Alanna, how may I help you?” Alanna replied cordially.

  “Ms. Vella, my name is Amelia. I am calling in response to your inquiry about the available position at Denisov International,” the woman said in a curt manner.

  “Yes, I sent my resume yesterday, thank you for getting back to me so quickly,” Alanna’s energy level shot upward. She felt like there was already some light at the end of the long tunnel she’d traveled for months.

  She scooted herself off the bed and paced the floor. She heard muffled sounds of Alyssa as she played with Roman in another room, but she locked her bedroom door so she wouldn’t be interrupted.

  “We are very interested in your education and experience. So far, the candidate response has been less than ideal. As such, we would like to extend the opportunity to you, Ms. Vella,” she continued in her matter-of-fact tone.

  “Sounds great,” Alanna declared as she nearly jumped up and down.

  “It’s for a secretary position, as I’ve said. It pays fifty thousand dollars per year and offers many benefits. The hours are Monday through Friday, from eight until five in the evening,” she said quickly as Alanna made some mental notes.

  “That sounds fantastic,” Alanna replied in an eager tone.

  “We have a Friday interview slot available at nine o’clock in the morning. Would this be acceptable to you?” the woman asked in her thick accent.

  “Yes, ma’am, I will be there at nine on Friday,” Alanna enthused.

  “Great, please come to the reception desk inside the building and from there, you will receive instructions on where to go next,” Amelia instructed her.

  “Of course,” Alanna said in agreement.

  “We look forward to speaking with you, Ms. Vella,” Amelia concluded.

  They disconnected the call and Alanna felt relieved. She let a deep breath escape her mouth and unlocked her bedroom door.

  Outside of her room, she saw Roman as he sat and pouted. He pushed his bottom lip forward and looked up at his mother.

  “Mommy’s got an interview on Friday,” she cooed to Roman with a giant smile pasted on her face. “Wait ‘til Aunt Alyssa hears about this!”

  “Aunt Alyssa is mean,” he muttered as he continued to pout. He made a defiant noise and crossed his arms at his chest.

  “Just because you didn’t get your way doesn’t mean that Aunt Alyssa is mean,” she objected.

  “Alyssa,” Alanna called out into the apartment as she moved from room to room. When she located her sister, she beamed a giant smile in her direction.

  “I got an interview on Friday!” Alanna exclaimed as she did a happy dance.

  “Oh my God, where?” Alyssa asked her sis
ter enthusiastically.

  “It’s that secretary job at Denisov International. Can you believe they called me so quickly? I only sent my resume out yesterday.”

  “With the hottie CEO? This is such awesome news,” Alyssa squealed. “I know you’ll get it, they’d be stupid not to hire you.”

  “Keep your fingers crossed,” Alanna told her sister as she held out hope for the first time in months. She returned to Roman in the living room and turned on cartoons for his amusement.

  “What time is the interview?” Alyssa inquired as she joined them.

  “Nine on Friday, can you keep an eye on Roman?”

  “Yeah, it’s not a problem. I don’t have classes that day and I don’t have to be at work until the afternoon.”

  “Awesome, I just have to make sure I have something to wear!” Alanna exclaimed as she made her way to her bedroom closet. She pulled out her old trusted navy pantsuit and white blouse and held the items up against her thin frame in her full-length mirror.

  “These will do,” she said to herself as she remembered wearing the clothes on her last interview.

  Alyssa suddenly appeared behind her and smiled at her choice of outfit for the occasion.

  “You’ve got this, so the clothes you wear won’t matter anyway,” she told her older sister.

  “You’re always so supportive, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Alanna told her sweetly as she turned to her sister. She placed the clothes back in her closet and hoped they exhibited her professional nature.

  When Friday morning rolled around, Alanna felt like the whole week blew by in a blur. She kissed Roman on his forehead and told Alyssa that she’d be back soon.

  Exiting the subway, she walked the remaining three blocks to the downtown skyscraper with “Denisov International” out front in white block letters. She exhaled a deep breath and walked through the glass doors. Inside, business people moved in and out of the place many with their heads down looking at their phones or chatting on headsets.

  At the reception desk, she told the woman, “I’m here for a nine o’clock interview. I spoke with a woman named Amelia on Monday.”