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The Mafia's Nanny 141
141Matteo’s POVThe car ride to our next stop was the quietest it had been since we left the city. Usually, Gianna would have her tablet open, firing off quick questions or reminders about the day’s meetings, and I’d be making sarcastic comments just to see how far I could push her before she sighed in frustration.Today, though, she was quiet. Too quiet. She sat rigid in her seat, her focus glued to the tablet in her lap, even though she hadn’t scrolled through it in at least ten minutes.I tried not to take it personally, but I wasn’t an idiot. The icy wall she’d thrown up after that night in the hotel room was impossible to ignore. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Her face was calm, composed, like nothing could touch her.If only I could get her to look at me the way she had that night. Just once.“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “do you think the clients today will be as charming as yesterday’s?”She didn’t look up. “Unlikely,” she said flatly.I waited for more,
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The Mafia's Nanny 142
142Gianna’s POVI hated team-building exercises. They always felt like a waste of time—forced fun designed to foster camaraderie between people who would rather just get on with their jobs. Still, our client insisted, so there I was, sitting in a circle of chairs in the middle of a conference room with Matteo beside me, his usual smirk firmly in place.“So, we’re doing trust falls now?” Matteo leaned toward me, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “What’s next, singing campfire songs?”I shot him a look that could’ve withered a plant. “This is important to them,” I hissed. “Try to take it seriously.”He held up his hands in mock surrender, his smirk deepening. “I’m always serious. You just can’t tell because I hide it so well.”I shook my head, fighting the urge to smile. Matteo’s charm was relentless, and lately, I’d found it harder to stay immune to it. But I wasn’t about to let my guard down, not here, not now. Not anymore.The activity leader clapped their hands to get ev
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The Mafia's Nanny 143
143Matteo’s POVThe room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, save for the sound of Mr. Cavanaugh drumming his fingers against the polished conference table. His sour expression matched the tension in the air. The deal was slipping through our fingers, and Gianna was doing her best to salvage it, but even she seemed to be hitting a wall.“This wasn’t what we agreed upon,” Cavanaugh said, his tone clipped. “These terms are a joke, Miss Lorenzo.”Gianna, seated across from him, maintained her composure. “Mr. Cavanaugh, I assure you, the terms haven’t changed. We simply clarified the delivery schedule to ensure you’re not left waiting on product—”“That’s irrelevant,” he snapped, cutting her off. “What’s relevant is that your team didn’t communicate these ‘clarifications’ until now. It feels… slippery.”I glanced at Gianna, whose jaw tightened slightly, like a small crack in her otherwise impenetrable armor.“Mr. Cavanaugh,” I said, leaning forward slightly, “if I may?”Gianna shot m
Last Updated : 2025-01-23The Mafia's Nanny 144
144Gianna’s POV.I didn’t intend to be cold, just distant. The kind of distance that says, I’m over it without having to say it. That’s what I’d been aiming for with Matteo. Professional, cordial, efficient—nothing more.But Matteo has always had this infuriating way of slipping past boundaries every damn time, even when I set them with the precision of an architect. And today, apparently, he’d decided to bulldoze right through them.I eyed the cup of coffee that appeared in front of me. A cappuccino, just how I liked it—extra foam, light sprinkle of cocoa powder. I looked up, startled.Matteo was already settling into the chair across from me, his expression annoyingly unreadable.“Don’t look at me like I poisoned it,” he said, not even glancing my way as he pulled out his laptop.“I wasn’t—”“You were.” He finally looked up, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It’s coffee, Gianna. Not a bribe. Just… a gesture.”I frowned, unsure whether to thank him or call him out f
Last Updated : 2025-01-23The Mafia's Nanny 145
145Gianna’s POVThe restaurant was nice—too nice for my liking, with its dim lighting, soft jazz, and napkins folded like little works of art. It was the kind of place where the wine list was longer than the menu, and the waitstaff looked like they could model in their spare time.But Mr Clifford loved it, so here we were, basking in the glow of a successful deal. Everyone was in high spirits, glasses clinking, conversation flowing. I sipped my wine sparingly, keeping my smile polite and my guard firmly in place.Matteo, of course, looked completely at ease. He always did in situations like this—charming Mr Clifford, cracking jokes that landed effortlessly. It was infuriating, how natural it all seemed for him.“Enjoying yourself?” His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.I turned to find him watching me, his expression unreadable.“Of course,” I replied, plastering on a smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”“You just seem a little… tense.”“I’m not tense,” I said quickly, which only made me so
Last Updated : 2025-01-24The Mafia's Nanny 146
146Gianna’s POVWhen I heard the knock on my hotel room door, I groaned. I was in the middle of enjoying my first free morning since this trip started—still in my pajamas, with a cup of coffee in hand and no intentions of leaving this room. Matteo and I had finally gotten separate room, which meant I was free from any disturbances or intrusions whatsoever, but now, it seems I spoke too soon.“Gianna, open up.”Matteo’s voice. Of course.I rolled my eyes, setting the coffee down and padding to the door. When I opened it, Matteo stood there looking annoyingly fresh in jeans and a dark t-shirt, his hands shoved casually in his pockets.“What?” I said, leaning against the doorframe.“You’re not doing anything today.”“I am doing something,” I countered. “I’m relaxing. It’s called self-care.”“Self-care can wait,” he said, already stepping past me into the room. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”I crossed my arms. “Who says I want to go out?”“Come on,” he said, flashing that irritatingly c
Last Updated : 2025-01-24The Mafia's Nanny 147
147Gianna’s POVThe moment I set foot into the conference room, I knew something was wrong.The atmosphere was tense—not the kind of tension I’d expected from a routine meeting, but the kind that prickled the back of your neck. The clients, seated in a neat row at the long table, were whispering amongst themselves, their faces tight with irritation. Matteo was already there, leaning casually against the table, his face a mask of calm confidence.I strode over to him, keeping my expression neutral. “What’s going on?” I murmured.Matteo glanced at me, his mouth quirking into an almost-smile. “Our presentation is in the wrong language.”I blinked. “What?”He handed me a printout, and sure enough, the neatly arranged slides—our meticulously crafted pitch—were in Spanish. The clients were Dutch.I sucked in a sharp breath. “How did this happen?”“No idea,” Matteo said, shrugging. “But freaking out won’t help. You’ve got a plan B, right?”I opened my mouth to snap back but stopped myself.
Last Updated : 2025-01-25The Mafia's Nanny 148
148Gianna’s POVThe elevator dinged softly, and Matteo gestured for me to step out first. The hallway ahead was narrow, the dim lighting giving it a mysterious edge that scared me a little bit. He had led me out of the hotel again today, refusing to tell me where he was taking me to. I keep saying I want him out of my life and yet I keep accepting his invitation to go out.How dumb I am.“Are you sure this place exists?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at him.Matteo smirked, his hands in his pockets. “Have I ever led you astray?”I raised an eyebrow. “Do you want an honest answer?”He chuckled, stepping beside me to push open a plain, unmarked door. The faint hum of jazz music drifted out, mingling with the cool night air.It was a rooftop bar.The rooftop bar was small and simple. Yet it was intimate. Strings of warm fairy lights crisscrossed above, their glow reflected in the glass-topped tables scattered around. Beyond the railing, the city stretched out beneath and around us.
Last Updated : 2025-01-25
Latest chapter
The Mafia's Nanny 174
174Emilia’s POVThe van’s interior smelled like sweat and stale cigarettes, an oppressive mix that churned my stomach. My hands, bound tightly behind me with rough rope, ached, and the gag they’d stuffed into my mouth earlier left my lips dry and cracked. They had removed it after they transferred me from the SUV into a van decided I was “safe enough” to keep quiet. Safe. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it.I shifted against the hard metal floor, the cold seeping through my clothes, and tried to steady my breath. My heart hammered in my chest, loud enough that I thought they might hear it over the growl of the engine. The men sat in the front seats, talking low enough that I could only catch snippets of their conversation. Fear bubbled up in my throat as I found my voice.“Please,” I said, my voice trembling. “Please, let me go. You’ve made a mistake—I’m no one important. You don’t need me.”The man in the passenger seat, a wiry guy with greasy hair who reeked of tobacco, glance
The Mafia's Nanny 173
173Alaric’s POVThe coppery tang of blood filled the air, sharp and unrelenting. My head rested against the steering wheel, every breath labored, each second dragging me closer to unconsciousness. The dashboard lights blurred in and out of focus, but the only thing I could see was Emilia’s face—terrified, pleading—as they dragged her away. The way she screamed for me and tried to fight back, yet I couldn’t help her. I couldn’t fight for her. My barely beating heart shattered into a thousand and one pieces, molded itself back only to shatter again. And the cycle kept repeating itself.I barely heard the sound of pounding footsteps over the roaring in my ears. Then the driver’s side door wrenched open, and a voice cut through the haze.“Alaric! What the hell happened?” Allesio’s face swam into view, his usually calm expression replaced with panic.I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry, and my throat felt like it had been sandpapered. All I could manage was a croak: “Emilia.”“Shit,” A
The Mafia's Nanny 172
172Alaric’s POVThe park was quiet except for the rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath our feet. The night wrapped around us, the cool air bristling against my skin as I walked beside her. Emilia. She’d said it moments ago—I love you—and the words had settled into my chest like stones in a still lake, rippling outward and disrupting everything I thought I understood.She walked a step ahead of me, her arms crossed as though bracing against the cold, or perhaps my sudden silence. Her confession had come so unexpectedly, it had left me reeling. I wasn’t a man who dealt in emotions; control was my currency. But this woman? She unraveled me in ways I didn’t have the words for.“You’re thinking too hard again,” she teased gently. “I can almost hear the wheels turning in your head.”I smirked, the heaviness in my chest lifting slightly. “Maybe I’m just trying to figure out how you can be so patient with me. I’m not exactly easy.”She tilted her head, pretending to consider. “Oh, you’re not. D
The Mafia's Nanny 171
171Emilia’s POVThe soft crunch of gravel beneath our shoes seemed to be the only sound as we strolled through the quiet park. It was one of those rare, clear nights where the stars seemed to spill endlessly across the sky, their light reflecting in the calm water of the small lake nearby. Alaric walked beside me, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his posture relaxed in a way I wasn’t used to seeing.He wasn’t barking orders or strategizing with his men. There was no tension in his jaw, no furrow in his brow. Tonight, he wasn’t the commanding, calculating man I’d come to know. He was just Alaric.The realization made me smile softly to myself, though I quickly glanced away when he caught me looking at him.“What’s so amusing?” he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.“Nothing,” I said quickly, though I could feel the heat creeping up my neck.He raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. “You’re a terrible liar.”I laughed despite myself, shaking my head. “Fine. I
The Mafia's Nanny 170
170Emilia’s POVThe early morning sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows, giving the room a beautiful golden hue. I blinked awake slowly, my eyes adjusting to the light, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. Then I turned my head and saw him. Alaric was still asleep, his face relaxed and peaceful in a way I didn’t often see.His hand rested just inches away from mine on the rumpled sheets, and I couldn’t resist the small smile tugging at my lips. I shifted slightly, trying not to disturb him, but the movement must have been enough because his eyes fluttered open.“Good morning,” he said, his voice husky and still thick with sleep.“Morning,” I replied softly, suddenly aware of how close we were.This felt different. Easier. There wasn’t the usual tension or hesitance that seemed to hover around us after nights like this. Now, lying here beside him, it felt natural, as though we belonged in this quiet moment.He propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze lingering on me like h
The Mafia's Nanny 169
169 Gianna’s POV The noise of my heels echoed softly in the quiet hallway outside my office. It was late, past the time any sane person would still be at work, but here I was, clutching a folder like it was some kind of shield against what I was about to do. It was obvious I wasn’t a sane person, or I’d be at home right now, sleeping like I should. Good lord. It wasn’t like I wasn’t exhausted.I stopped in front of Matteo’s office door, staring at it like it might suddenly grow teeth and bite me. The soft glow of light seeped through the crack under the door, proof that he was still inside. Of course he was. Matteo was nothing if not relentless when it came to his work—or, as I was beginning to admit, when it came to me.I raised my hand to knock but hesitated. What was I even going to say? How did you casually admit to someone that they’d somehow taken up residence in your thoughts, dismantling all your carefully built defenses without permission?How do I admit to him that sometim
The Mafia's Nanny 168
168Gianna’s POVWorkplace events were always a mix of formal pleasantries and carefully managed chaos. I wasn’t a fan, but as the CEO, my presence was expected—necessary even. Tonight was no different. The annual awards gala was in full swing, and the ballroom buzzed with polite laughter, the clinking of glasses, and a low hum of music.I stood near the bar, a glass of champagne in my hand, scanning the room. My employees were mingling, laughing, and probably discussing things they thought I wouldn’t approve of. It was fine. They’d earned it anyways. If I was still working with them, I’d be doing the same.“Enjoying yourself?”The voice came from behind me, and I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Matteo. His voice always carried a certain calm confidence, like he belonged wherever he chose to stand. I rolled my eyes but smiled still. I was really getting comfortable with him appearing wherever I was these days.“Is anyone ever really enjoying themselves at these things?” I re
The Mafia's Nanny 167
167Gianna’s POVI wasn’t sure when the shift began—when Matteo’s steady presence stopped feeling like a burden I had to bear and started to feel like something I relied on. But as I sat in my office, staring at the flowers someone had sent over after a successful deal, the thought hit me like a punch to the chest.He’d been patient. Too patient, if I were honest.I pushed back my chair and stood, pacing the length of the office. The blooms on my desk taunted me, bright and celebratory. They were from a client, a token of gratitude for all the work I’d done to close a deal. But the truth was, Matteo had done just as much.More, maybe. Truth be told, he was the one who closed the deal. I was just the figurehead.A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, straightening my blazer as though that would help.Matteo stepped inside, a folder in his hand. His sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was just slightly askew, the kind of imperfection that felt deliberate.“B
The Mafia's Nanny 166
166Gianna’s POVI thought space would help. I really really thought it would.When I noticed Matteo was keeping his distance again, I told myself it was what I needed. Time to clear my head, to focus on work, to push aside the ridiculous feelings that had been creeping in no matter how much I fought them. It was easier to breathe when he wasn’t hovering nearby, his presence a constant reminder of everything I wasn’t ready to deal with.But space didn’t help.Instead, it felt like something vital had been ripped away.I didn’t notice it right away. The first day, I told myself it was a relief when he didn’t come by my office with his usual wry remarks about my overpacked schedule. The second day, I convinced myself it was just coincidence that he hadn’t found a reason to stop by my desk.By the end of the week, I couldn’t deny it anymore. Matteo was pulling back.And I hated it.It wasn’t obvious, not to anyone else. He was still professional, still efficient, still the Matteo who cou
