Love Outside my Reach

Jordan was taken aback, his lips parted as he gasped in surprise. Chloe sighed, "Is there any other special cleaning you want in the room aside from the regular one?" she asked coolly. Jordan stared at her in disbelief. Her indifference stung him. Did she just ignore what he was saying? He waited three hours for her the day before. Of course he could never tell her that. He had been mad at himself for having such feelings. Right now, he couldn't be any madder. But the girl just stood there, looking so nonchalant, carefree, unconcerned. His business card was a treasure to anyone else, but she had trashed it. He clenched his jaw. For once, he was at a loss for words. Chloe spoke up, "I will get to work then." She turned to leave. "Hey!" Jordan bellowed. She stopped, frowning. Why was he so angry? "You will get to work, doing what? Telling everyone it wasn't you who made that mess?" he scoffed, "Isn't that what you were about to say to my mother?" Chloe put on a false perplexed look, "But that's the truth. We both know I am not the one at fault. What exactly are you scared of, Mister Cavanaugh? Why should it be a big deal?" "So you are going out there to tell on me?" he gave a low laugh. "No. Not really," Chloe said offhandedly, "I think I have my job back for now, thank you. I will face that and hope you don't play such games with me again." Jordan came closer to her, frowning, "Are you threatening me?". Chloe wanted to place her hands on his broad chest and push him away, he smelled so good, "Threatening you? Hell no, that's not a threat. I was just soliciting for peace. I didn't do anything wrong to you or your family. YOU wronged me, you ought to apologize. But I am not even asking you to". Jordan moved closer, step by step, until her back hit the door. His face hovered inches from hers, his breath warm, his eyes dark and unreadable. Chloe's heart skipped a beat, as she began to panic. Chloe Carson thought moving to Colorado would bring stability and a chance to rebuild her life. But her new job at the Cavanaugh mansion proves anything but simple, especially with Jordan, the handsome yet infuriating heir whose every word and glance keeps her on edge. As Chloe tries to find her footing, she also faces Niles, her cousin's crush, whose attraction to her awakens feelings she did not expect. Torn between Niles's gentle affection and Jordan's intoxicating pull, Chloe must navigate jealousy, secrets, and emotional traps she never saw coming. As unexpected consequences spiral around her, Chloe will have to decide whose heart she can trust... before it is too late.

Chapters

Chapter 3

Chloe gathered the clothes Theresa had instructed her to handle, her hands trembling slightly as she approached the laundry room. The towering piles of garments, some fresh from the dryer yet still requiring pressing, seemed overwhelming. A sharp pang of hunger gnawed at her stomach, and she squatted against the wall, pressing her hand over her abdomen.

"God I am so hungry..." she murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Hey."

The single word made her jerk upright. Jordan stood in the doorway, relaxed but impossible to ignore. There was a quiet pull to him, and the calm, teasing way he spoke made her catch her breath.

He held out a small package of sourdough bread and a medium pack of yogurt. "Have this."

Chloe blinked, surprised. For a fleeting moment, she forgot the oppressive weight of the mansion and the exhausting day.

She hesitated, unsure if she should feel grateful or flustered, then she allowed a small smile to spread across her face.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, startling her.

"I am not blushing. I am just... smiling," she said quietly, wishing her face would stop betraying her.

"Well, your smile is blushing," he countered with a smirk.

"You are... silly," she muttered, cheeks warming.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "What did you say?"

"I said... thank you," she whispered, unsure why her chest tightened at his nearness.

"No. You said something else."

Chloe could not reply as they heard the sound.of approaching feet.

Before she could react, Jordan scooped up the snacks and, almost impossibly, dove into the broken industrial washing machine, disappearing behind its metallic bulk. Chloe quickly draped a bedsheet over it. Not sure why she did that.

Theresa appeared with another basket of laundry, heavy and brimming with expensive fabrics. "These belong to Mister Cavanaugh. I expect you to know that not everything goes in the machine. Handle carefully."

Then she added in a warning tone, "In fact, be very careful with everything you do here. Perhaps I should let you know, Lily could be a storm to handle sometimes. Jordan can be super sly and super devilish, like a ... puzzle. So beware. Their mother is, calculative. Observe and learn quickly. You will need it." She left as abruptly as she came, leaving Chloe breathless and a little more aware of the house's unspoken rules.

Jordan emerged from the shadows a moment later, carrying her untouched snack.

She stared at him; Super sly and super devilish. Plus, super handsome.

His grin was infuriatingly confident. "Yeah, I'm a super guy. And none of Theresa's warnings are the whole truth."

He handed her the meal. Chloe could not say no.

He yawned and stretched. "You are lucky I will be free for the rest of the evening, so l will help you iron this batch." He pointed to a heap by the corner.

Chloe felt herself drawn to him, she wanted to step back in caution but fascination rooted her to the spot.

"You want to help me?" She wasn't sure she had heard him right.

"Yup. Don't I look like a nice guy?" He opened a cabinet and selected an iron, then plucked a long, exquisite gown from a pile.

"So...you grew up in Nebraska?" he asked casually as he plugged in the iron.

"Yes," she answered, not sure why her heart was racing.

"Where? Countryside?" he pressed, his eyes scanning her features as if reading a secret.

"Why do you think so?" she asked, a nervous smile tugging at her lips. He had probably gone through her papers already.

He exhaled slowly, stretching the gown across the board. "You look... There's a groundedness about you. Different from the city air here."

Chloe almost dropped her bread. "Is that a compliment? Or you're being sarcastic?"

Mischief danced briefly in his eyes. "You can decide."

She finished her snack hastily, focusing on the laundry to steady her racing heart.

"Warning," he said suddenly, gesturing to another iron. "Do not make use of this one I am holding. It is quite faulty. You can make use of that green one instead."

Chloe gasped at the big triangular hole in Lily's dress just after the smell of something burning got to her nose.

"Oh my God, Mister Cavanaugh!" her trembling hands threw themselves across her mouth.

"What? Never seen a burnt gown? Tell whoever asks, that you used a faulty iron, cos you didn't know. And consider this, a lesson... and a gift," he said with an air of nonchalance.

"Think of it as a... uhm, payback. For calling Lily spoiled, and for enjoying your meal without owing me." He added.

"I don't understand you," she murmured, her voice breaking.

"Neither do I," he admitted, shrugging, eyes softening for the briefest instant. "But I have always wanted to see this gown like this. It is prettier now. By the way, it is, Jordan. Without the Mister bla bla." He winked and stepped back, leaving her to absorb the complexity of his presence.

The thought of twenty dollars an hour echoed in her mind, a faint comfort against the dizzying uncertainty of the house.

Continue to next part

After five years in a federal prison, framed by my stepmother and fiancé, I was finally released. Instead of a welcome home, my stepmother tossed me a one-way ticket to Geneva and a threat: renounce the family name and disappear, or end up in the Hudson River. When our limo was suddenly ambushed by military-grade SUVs on the highway, their cowardice almost got us killed. I took the wheel, crashed the attackers, and saved their lives. But the moment the danger passed, my stepmother tried to slap me, called me a psycho, and abandoned me on the desolate roadside. My ex-fiancé later cornered me in public, trying to assert his dominance by grabbing my arm. They still thought I was the broken girl they sent to a cage just so they could steal my dead mother's biochemical research. I didn't feel heartbreak, only a cold, absolute certainty. They threw me to the wolves, not realizing the federal penitentiary had burned away my capacity for mercy. I hacked into the dark web and found out Dante Meltoni, the most dangerous Mafia Don in New York, was tearing the city apart to find a legendary underground doctor. I am that doctor. I walked straight into his heavily guarded fortress, pulled out a syringe, and saved his dying grandfather. Then I looked the terrifying Don right in the eye. "Marry me. And let me use your empire to wipe my family off the map."

Billionaire Mafia Modern

8.6

Claimed By The Ruthless Dark Mafia Don

8.6

I was the untouchable Mafia Queen, but my reign ended in the blood-soaked depths of a damp dungeon. My half-sister, Kelsey, drove a rusted, sharpened spoon into my chest, screaming about the unfairness of fate. In my past life, my father sold me to the ruthless Don Dante Blackwell as collateral to pay off his debts. To survive, I took a black-market fertility drug, birthed his heir, and clawed my way to the throne through sheer ruthlessness. But in the mafia world, a pregnant woman isn't a queen; she's a walking target. I survived countless bombings and poisonings, only to be betrayed and slaughtered by my own family. Until my last breath, I couldn't understand. I had sacrificed everything to secure our survival in the empire. Why did my blood and tears only earn me a rusted spoon to the heart? Opening my eyes again, I am seventeen, sitting in my father's drawing room. Two black velvet boxes sit on the mahogany table. Kelsey greedily snatches the box containing the fertility drug, her eyes gleaming with feverish triumph. "I'll take this one, Papa." She thinks she is stealing my golden ticket to the crown, completely unaware that she just chose a death sentence. I lower my gaze, letting my eyelashes mask the cold, lethal amusement pooling in my eyes as I take the remaining box. Inside is the detailed psychological profile of the Don's dead fiancée. This time, I won't be a breeding mare fighting off assassins. I will dissect the devil himself.

Action Mafia Modern

7.9

Deadly Queen Unleashed: The Underworld Bends To My Will

7.9

Hannah came home under a false identity, ready to keep her head down and avoid trouble. Then a near-drowning opened her eyes, and the family she had wanted gave her nothing but disappointment. She severed every tie, shed the disguise, and rose in revenge as a miracle doctor, brilliant hacker, and feared underworld ruler. Shock followed her family at every turn. Her parents regretted everything. Her eldest brother clung desperately to the bond of their shared blood, while her second brother gave up his entire fortune just to earn her forgiveness. Her third brother offered up his own body for a surgery-all to save her. But Hannah stayed cold and built her empire alone. Only one deadly rival refused to be ignored. "I was hired to kill you, mister." "Then take my heart, too."

Action Mafia Modern

8.2

In The Wrong Mafia Don's Bed

8.2

When our family empire crumbled, my sister and I were sold off as collateral to the Chicago Outfit. My fierce sister Frankie was forced to marry Damien Moretti, the terrifying Don. I was shackled to his brother Leo, a notorious, degenerate playboy. I thought my life was over, but the real nightmare began on our wedding night. A terrified maid handed me the wrong room key. Exhausted and numb, I crawled into a dark honeymoon suite, praying my new husband would be too drunk to find me. Instead, the heavy door opened, and a man fueled by a drug-laced drink stepped in. He was ruthless, punishing, and entirely stripped away my dignity in the pitch black. When the morning light finally broke, I turned my head, expecting to see Leo's boyish face. Instead, I saw a profile carved from ice. Damien Moretti. The Don. My sister's husband. The very man who had previously called me a "liability" and ruined my life. When he realized who I was, his eyes filled with absolute, chilling disgust. He dragged me out of the ruined sheets, threw me onto the floor of a freezing shower, and demanded to know why I had sneaked into his suite. "You ruined me. How am I supposed to look at Frankie? You should have just killed me. Kill me now, Damien. It would be a mercy compared to this." I sobbed, the freezing water mingling with my tears. He just stared down at me with cold, unreadable intent. I was now trapped in a house of monsters, carrying the Don's darkest secret, and I had to figure out how to survive without destroying my sister.

Mafia Modern Romance

8.6

Mafia Queen to First Lady: A Reborn Pact with the President

8.6

Leland, the world's most eligible bachelor and powerful President, was rumored to be in love-with Valerie, the nation's favorite punchline. Once rejected by his nephew and scorned for her looks, Valerie faced public outrage for "leeching" off Leland's status and entering government circles. Elite society mocked, rivals sneered. But the tables turned: the mafia king was spotted carrying her bags, scientists begged for her help, and Valerie saved the nation. As chaos erupted, Leland posted on the presidential account. "My wife wants to dump me-how do I win her back? Urgent advice needed!"

Mafia Modern Romance

8.7

Married to the Billionaire Mafia Don

8.7

"You're leaving," Lorenzo said softly. Ivy straightened her spine and raised her chin. "I am. I'm getting out of this place even if it means climbing over the front gates. I can't stay here anymore. I'm leaving!" "You can't," Lorenzo said flatly. "Not now." "Watch me," Ivy hissed, brushing past him. Lorenzo stepped in her way and grabbed her by the arms-not roughly, but firmly. "I mean it, Ivy. You can't leave," he said tightly. She struggled against his grip, her bag falling to the floor with a thud. "Let me go, Lorenzo! I don't belong here. This place is insane. Your family is insane!" "You belong to me," he said sharply, eyes burning into hers. "And it's my job to protect what's mine." "I don't want to be yours," Ivy cried. "I want to be free! I want to live!" Something shifted in Lorenzo's face. He looked at her then, not as an obligation, not as a pawn, but as a person. A frightened, strong, beautiful woman who had been caught in a storm she never asked for. And something in him cracked. Lorenzo reached down and cupped her face with both hands. Ivy flinched at first but didn't pull away. His thumbs wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said quietly. Her lower lip trembled. "Then let me go..." "I can't," he whispered. And then, without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her. *************** Ivy Wesley believed that marrying a wealthy stranger would be her golden escape from a life of struggle. Lorenzo Martinelli was supposed to be her way out: her fresh start, her answer to every prayer whispered in the dark. But the moment the mansion doors shut behind her, Ivy understood the truth. She hadn't stepped into a fairy tale. She had walked straight into the lion's den. The whispers about the Martinelli family's ties to the Mafia aren't just rumors; they're real, and now Ivy is bound to them by a ring on her finger and secrets she can never unlearn. There is no undoing this choice. No clean exit. Not after what she's seen. Not after what she knows. Surrounded by dangerous alliances, ruthless power plays, and truths sharp enough to draw blood, Ivy finds herself caught in a world where trust is a luxury and loyalty can be lethal. Yet in the middle of the chaos, something even more unexpected takes root: a love she never planned for, never prepared for, and may not survive. Now Ivy faces an impossible choice: run while she still can, or stand her ground beside the man who could destroy her as easily as he protects her. In a world where betrayal lurks behind every polished smile and devotion can cost a life, can their love endure... or will it be the very thing that brings everything crashing down?

Billionaire Mafia Modern

Love Outside my Reach

Chapter 3

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