The Mafia's Rose Married The CEO

Qing Chen used to live in one of the hotel's penthouses before he was married. It was convenient for him as he would not take that much time getting ready for work and he would not be dealing with the morning traffic. He liked waking up, getting dressed, and going down to his 10th floor office, his breakfast already waiting for him on a food cart.

And that breakfast was what he found the moment he entered his bright room. The walls were made of glass and a bit of sunlight was pouring in. He ignored the breakfast as he already had his fill this morning.

He thought it was pretty sweet of Feng Xuan to have made him breakfast the first morning they spent together. How he wished he did not have to work today. Qing Chen pressed his monitor on and scanned through his emails. Li Zongying, his secretary already sent him an itinerary for the day. There was not much to do regarding the hotel.

He would say the opposite about the other thing. As if on cue, he heard the knock on his door. "Come in."

Qing Chen's little brother came in wearing a little smug smirk that took up almost half of his face. "You're a little late," his tone pertaining to something l.e.w.d.

"I'm not," Qing Chen answered as Qing Lok took a seat in front of him.

"That's alright," Qing Lok grinned some more. "I know you had been busy last night."

Qing Chen rolled his eyes at his brother. "Not that it's any of your business but we didn't do it last night."

Qing Lok's face twisted. "Man, that sucks. She's ugly, isn't she? I knew it! Why else would her father need to help her to get married?"

Qing Chen chuckled. "What are you talking about? She's beautiful."

"You're just saying that."

Qing Chen took on the challenge and found the photographer's email to him last night. He clicked the link inside the message and it reopened to another window. It was the pictures. Qing Chen twisted the monitor so his brother could see as he clicked on the mouse to show all the pictures.

"Con-gra-tu-la-tions, indeed, brother!" Qing Lok laughed. "That's your wife?!"

Qing Chen faked a sigh.

Qing Lok went back to his seat. "Maybe I should take that marriage thing Father had always been speaking about. Maybe he'll give me a pretty wife too."

"If you finish your classes, maybe Father will."

Ever since Qing Lok discovered the mafia side of his family, around two years ago when he was eighteen, his grades took a spiral turn. He missed most of his classes and preferred to stay outdoors with his new found friends.

Changing the subject, Qing Lok handed his brother a black folder. It was a list of reports regarding the mafia. Since Qing Lok was no longer attending his classes, their Father found a good use for him as second-in-command.

"Mr. Wei is causing trouble again."

Just then, Qing Chen's eyes rested on the name and date at the bottom list of the page. "For the same offense," he said disappointedly. "Alright, let's go down."

They both exited the office and went inside the elevator. "How is the wife?" Qing Lok asked his brother, the metal walls of the elevator reflecting their faces.

"I think she's great. She cooked breakfast."

"Oh," Qing Lok whistled. "Nice! You're finally getting home-cooked meals again. What does she do?"

"Uh..." he did not know the answer. "She's in graduate school. I think she's just mainly focusing on study."

"She'll be focused on another thing by next week."

"Meaning?"

"She'll be splurging your riches on clothes, shoes, and bags. That's what wives do," Qing Lok said as if Qing Chen was supposed to know that. He was not even worried about the money. There was a hefty amount in their new joint bank account. Even if Feng Xuan would try, Qing Chen thought she would not be able to scr.a.p.e the bottom of that barrel.

The elevator doors opened to the casino area. The hotel owned one of the most popular casinos in the country. Besides, this was where most of the money came from. They walked in the middle of the busy tables and the noise coming from the slot machines were almost deafening.

The brothers entered the VIP room. It was always guarded by two men in suits. Inside the red door, there was a black elevator framed with granite. It was the entrance to The Underground. The space was as big as the whole of the hotel's premises. There were four floors of entertainment in this place. Only, and only, members of Enigma's little group could enter.

A brief history of Enigma: back in the day when mafias were still a thing, Qing Chen's great-grandfather started heading this little group of obnoxious boys and bullies. Enigma, he called it. With their bad reputation they forced people to pay them money in exchange for protection of their family and businesses. And from there it just started to go upwards for the business and downwards in the moral section. As more laws had been implemented and the security around Chengshi tightened, Enigma seemed to disappear from the light. They kept in the shadows and did their business under the table. And over the years, mainly his grandfather's doing, they were able to make some politicians and high-ranking police officers their l.a.p dogs.

Under the protection of Enigma was an organization called The Kingsman's Club. When Qing Chen took charge of this place, he had upped the price two-fold. He thought most of the people would have backed out by then. But, no. They were too happy in The Underground and the protection they got from Qing Chen's family. Besides, it was the Qings that would have kept their businesses running. They were more than willing to hand over their money in exchange for the benefits.

The Kingsman's Club was open 24/7. Any of the member could come and go as they please. They were even allowed accommodations in the hotel's best suites stat. Qing Chen wanted to keep things legal and clean. But nothing ever was in the mafia.

There was a strip club, intimate tables of gambling, a bar, a small movie theatre, a couple of karaoke rooms, two spacious function rooms below, and—what guests loved the most—were the female servers. Now, Qing Chen was strict with implementing that nothing s.e.x.u.a.l would come in between the girls and the small number of members of the little club (they were mostly of the wealthiest businessmen, politicians, and officers of the government looking for fun).

But of course, these girls were in need of money, and someone as rich as Mr. Wei was happily throwing money at them for a few minutes of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. When they emerged from the elevator, Qing Chen asked the guard where the man was and was pointed at one of the private rooms by the bar.

He did not even bother knocking. For this reason, there were no locks installed in the doors. He found Mr. Wei and three of the dancers covered with thin strings of clothing slithering around his big body. He was almost half-n.a.k.e.d by now. His shirt, coat, and pants were gone. Leaving him in his boxer shorts, socks, and tie. He looked like he hadn't taken a bath in two days.

Qing Chen fought the urge to grimace at the situation. The girls gasped upon seeing their boss. Qing Chen snapped his fingers and the girls immediately rushed out of the room, leaving Mr. Wei open-mouthed and angry.

"What is it now, child?!" Mr. Wei was mad his fun had been cut-off.

"This is your last warning, Mr. Wei," he said calmly. It was actually Mr. Wei's fourth offense. And it seemed like Mr. Wei did not like listening to Qing Lok. "This happens once more and you know what's going to happen."

"Eh," the old man replied and sulked against the sofa. "You wouldn't dare! Your father didn't."

Qing Chen's lips pulled up on one corner. Qing Zihao, his father, might have let these things go unnoticed just as long as his friends and colleagues were happy. "Thing is, I am not my father. I do not care about you, Mr. Wei, and I surely wouldn't mind putting you six feet under. So, watch me."

Although Mr. Wei's body remained frozen, Qing Chen noticed that his eyes widened a fraction. That was all he needed. He stepped out of the room, signalled to the bouncers to make the old lonely man leave for the day. There was a two-week probation when you make an offense.

Qing Chen turned his attention to the girls waiting for him outside the door, lined like they were up for interrogation. He looked at them, each one with her head down. Qing Chen felt a little sorry. They must've felt cold in their lack of clothing.

But it was not the time to feel pity.

"You three, this is your last warning also. If you do this again, to anyone," he sighed because he never thought he would be the man who would threaten women, "you're going back on the street. I wouldn't be sure if you would be alive by then."

"Let's go," Qing Chen said to Qing Lok who had been patiently waiting and watching him.

"How do you do that?" Qing Lok asked, sounding amazed. "You sounded so cool. Like from a movie!"

Qing Chen sighed and used the stairs to reach his other office. Now, they were more alone. "Do you think I like doing that?!" He shook off his coat as he walked. They passed through the kitchen and the supply room where countless liters of alcohol awaits to be opened. "I think this is the worst job in the world!"

"Oh, it could be fun. You're not just using it to its fullest extent."

Qing Chen sat on his wooden table and opened the black folder once more. Mainly, running this little club was more like a hobby he hated. It was easy to manage. Like any other business, they do the inventory and accounting. All the nitty-gritty in between.

One of the reasons why Qing Chen did not want for the mafia to continue was because he knew one day he would get married and have a family.

And the mafia, would surely get in the way of a happy life.