Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 46: Mommy and Daddy.

"Where are Charlotte and Bella?" James asked his mother as he stepped back into the house.

"They’re in the garden painting." She replied, though her eyes and expression were still filled with worry.

"Bella too?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

His mother chuckled softly. "She said that if you like painting and women who paint, then she’s going to become a painter."

James exhaled, shaking his head with a slight smirk. "Well, I’ll be in the office if anyone needs anything." He grabbed an apple from the counter and headed straight to his private office.

When he bought this house for his family, his priorities were clear.

First, security and privacy. A two-meter-high brick wall surrounded the property, reinforced by a dense hedge wall to ensure complete privacy.

Second, a spacious kitchen for his mother and areas for relaxation.

Everything else was just part of the deal, including the office.

A masterpiece of craftsmanship, polished hardwood, elegant leather chairs, and a grand desk.

But he was only there once since he bought the house, to put in documents and reports.

And now, he needed to go through everything, see how things had unfolded so far and how they would play out next.

This was the only room in the house that required a code to enter, because inside certain documents were stored, documents that, if seen by his family, would undoubtedly cause trouble.

Stepping in, he walked straight to a large safe embedded in the wall, hidden behind a painting. He moved the artwork aside and unlocked the safe.

Stacks of documents lay inside, along with bundles of cash. But what he truly needed were the records, the files that contained the real weight of his empire.

He pulled out a thick pile of documents and settled into his chair. From the desk drawer, he retrieved a notebook.

That notebook was the holy grail of the Bellini family.

Within its pages were records of bribes, drug trades, the trafficking routes, and every single detail about everything.

And yes, it was the dumbest thing to do, keeping such records. He knew it well. But he couldn’t possibly remember every detail in his head, nor could he risk storing it on a computer.

"So… what I just said to Hector is going to cause trouble." He muttered, flipping through the pages, scanning the reports. "The Circle will complain, customers will complain, and other families, well, they’ll be happy…Hector basically held a monopoly over the city."

He leaned back, gazing at the intricate carvings on the ceiling, letting out a slow sigh.

"I’m sure there’s going to be a war between families and gangs over who gets to rule what I left behind… but still, 250 million and the camps that keep producing white magic, it’ll take at least four months to sell everything. So, four months to get ready…"

He went through one of the documents and pulled out a report. It was Silas Ricci’s file, filled with every little detail about the man.

"This fucker will want to break in. He’s got hundreds of dealers selling garbage, and the capital is a strategic point. From here, he can transport everywhere… How many people are going to die sniffing that shit?"

He looked up and rubbed his face, frustration creeping in.

"Fuck… maybe I made a mistake. But if I kept things running, the military would’ve wiped out the workers at the camps. More than 60 camps, each with at least 20 workers… They’re just people from poor backgrounds trying to make money."

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling again.

"How much is a life worth, some of them would take a bullet for 1,000 a month. Some would work all day for the same amount. Some would do anything for that kind of money. One fucking thousand… not even minimum wage. And yet, they’d still do it."

Then leaning back he flipped through the notebook again, stopping on a specific page. His fingers traced the numbers.

"1,231 people. 61 of them are guards and bodyguards, trained, with military backgrounds or private contractor experience. Then there are 623 enforcers, making sure no one steps into our territory and causes trouble. Another 78 are dealers and middlemen, handling the wealthy clients, bringing in more business." He flipped the page. "And the rest are workers and the so-called legal team laundering money and keeping things running…"

He glanced at another number.

"For 1,231 people, I only pay 6.1 million a month in salaries. That’s good money—$5,000 a month, at least statistically. But not everyone gets paid that much… some barely get paid at all."

He exhaled, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"If I just took that money and helped the slums, my men would be furious. I’d be giving handouts to strangers while they worked their asses off, some even killed… no, they don’t kill. They just enforce…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

"Let’s say…" He grabbed a pen and started writing. "If Hector can push up the price and turn that 250 million into a billion—no, let’s say 700 million, then I could put 100 million into the slums and another 100 million toward my men. Which means…"

He pulled out his phone and opened the calculator.

"I could give them an $81,234 bonus. No… why am I being stingy? I’m already a billionaire. Let’s double it. If I put 200 million toward them, that means a $160,000 bonus per person."

James stared at the numbers on his phone screen, his fingers drumming against the desk.

"$160,000 per person… That’s enough to change lives. Enough for them to leave this life if they wanted to."

But would they?

"If I start throwing cash around, they’ll wonder why. They’ll think I’m stepping away, leaving them behind… and if they feel abandoned, someone else will step in."

He had to be careful. Too much money at once could be as dangerous as too little.

"Maybe stagger the payments." He thought aloud. "Bonuses spread over time… give them security without making them desperate or reckless."

He sighed, glancing back at the notebook, his eyes scanning the names until they landed on Hans.

"Fuck is up with him? Didn’t message, didn’t call… No way he’s getting freaky with Sophia—" He stopped, shaking his head. "What the hell am I even thinking and why do I keep saying it out loud? What if there’s a drone circling up there, listening?"

He stopped talking and looked up at the ceiling again like he could see the skies.

"If anyone’s listening, fuck all of you! If even one agency wasn’t corrupt, I would’ve ended up as a mafia boss, you fuckers!" He let out another sigh. "Maybe I should get freaky too, relieve all this tension…"

There was silence, then he laughed at himself.

"Bella… she’s beautiful, she loves me. The problem is…" He paused. "What exactly is the problem with her?"

He crossed his legs, he spun the chair slowly, deep in thought.

"She’s a psycho. She’s crazy." He let out a breath, staring at the ceiling. "But she’s warm… and she truly loves me."

His fingers tapped idly on the armrest.

"Why the hell am I even questioning her? My damn life revolves around crazy people."

He paused the spinning rubbing his eyes.

"I can’t be this naive even if all of this is a misunderstanding, I still play along. My decisions… they’re not just mine."

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

"They’re absolute. Whatever I decide, they follow without question."

"No… if I get too comfortable, things will only become harder. I need to stay cautious… Maybe they misunderstood things too."

Well, James had hit the nail on the head, because Hector had misunderstood everything on an entirely different level.

And then there was Charlotte.

"My daughter…" He sighed. "I need to be her father. Teach her things. And, more importantly… let her be a child."

Her birthday was coming up soon. And those damn horses that could outrun the IRS… How much money did he owe them? Hundreds of millions?

"Fuck them too."

But before he could think about it any further, a loud knock, more like punching, echoed through the door.

"Daddy, let me in!" Charlotte’s voice rang through.

"Yes, Daddy!" Bella’s voice followed hers.

James quickly locked the documents back in the safe before heading to the door. "Wait a bit, and don’t bust down my door!" he shouted.

When he swung it open, he found both Charlotte and Bella standing there, their faces and clothes covered in paint.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, raising a brow.

Charlotte burst out laughing. "Bella and I had a battle with the brushes!" She announced proudly, her face smeared with every color of the rainbow, her once-white clothes now a canvas of chaos.

"And what about the painting?"

Charlotte’s eyes lit up. "Come see it!" she said, immediately taking off toward the stairs.

"Slow down! I don’t want you rolling down!" James called out, sounding like a real father.

Bella chuckled beside him then locked eyes with James and asked softly, "How are you?"

But before she could expect an answer, James pulled her in, kissing her on the lips.

Bella blinked in shock, her body tensing as James pulled away. Her fingers hovered near her lips, eyes wide with surprise.

James cleared his throat, suddenly realizing what he had just done. "Uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her. "That was… uh—"

Her face turned bright red. She looked away, pretending to fix her sleeve, but it was clear she was flustered.

"I—I wasn’t expecting that…" She mumbled.

"Yeah… me neither," James admitted, shifting awkwardly. The room suddenly felt way too small.

A beat of silence passed between them, both avoiding eye contact. Then, Bella, still visibly flustered, muttered under her breath, "We can… do more."

James froze. His brain short-circuited for a second.

Bella, realizing what she had just said out loud, turned an even deeper shade of red.

"I—I mean, if you want to! Not that we have to! I just—!" She covered her face with both hands.

James let out a strained cough, his ears burning. "Yeah, uh… maybe when we have time." He mumbled, feeling just as embarrassed.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

"Let’s… go see what Charlotte painted…"

Bella nodded quickly. "Yes. Good idea. Very good idea."

As they walked toward the garden, Bella kept sneaking glances at James, her face still warm.

He looked just as awkward, running a hand through his hair and keeping his eyes forward like he was on a mission.

They reached the massive canvas where Charlotte’s painting stood.

James took a moment to take it in.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

"Is that us?" He asked, looking at the mix of colors and strokes which somehow made up three faces.

"Yeah!" She beamed then pointed her finger at it. "This is me, this is daddy and this is mommy!"

Bella and James got embarrassed again, their faces turning red.

"I’m going to ask grandma to see it!" She ran away again fast.

Grandma…she called mom grandma huh…

"You know..." Bella started burning back James from his thoughts. "I think Charlotte…really sees us as a family." She blushed a bit.

"Kids see things how they want to."

Bella suddenly stepped beside James and leaned on his shoulders "And you?"

"We could be one but—"

He couldn’t finish as Bella slipped her fingers through his clutching it firmly

"You don’t have to overthink everything, James." She said quietly. "Sometimes… things are just simple."

He glanced at her, their eyes locking onto each other. Slowly, James leaned in and gave Bella another kiss, and this time, she returned it.

This was James’s answer to her.

"Ewwww, they’re kissing!" Charlotte shouted while jumping up and down, completely embarrassing them.

They quickly stepped away from each other as if they were strangers.

Charlotte ran up and hugged Bella. "So you’re really my mommy?" she asked, beaming with happiness.

Bella glanced at James, who gave a slight nod.

"Yes, I am." She said with a bright smile.