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2025-01-23 13:24:07
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The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-25The Mafia's Nanny 149
149Gianna’s POVIf I hadn’t been hyper aware of Matteo since two nights ago, I wouldn’t have noticed the smallest things he was doing for me. He wasn’t hovering or overt, which made it harder to pinpoint it, but it was there and it was driving me crazy.Like the coffee on the conference table. I eyed it. And then eyed Matteo who was sitting near the window. We had a meeting this morning and I was too much in a rush to get my coffee as usual. But there was one on the table, still steaming in a cup that wasn’t from the hotels subpar café. I eyed it once again and eyed Matteo who was sitting near the window, flipping through his phone like he had t done a single thing out of the ordinary.“Is this yours?” I asked, holding up the cup.He looked up, feigning mild confusion. “It’s yours. I figured you’d need something better than whatever they serve downstairs.”I blinked. “How do you even know how I take my coffee?” That was a pointless question by the way. Because he had been getting me
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-26The Mafia's Nanny 150
150Matteo’s POV.This gala was the kind of event I hated but had perfected enduring over the years. Suits too stiff, champagne too warm, and conversations too shallow. Mr Clifford, who was hosting it, is, of course, a big player, and making an appearance wasn’t optional.I scanned the room, my gaze naturally landing on Gianna. She was near the bar, her sharp black dress cutting a figure that commanded attention without trying. Her head tilted slightly as she listened to some older man in a loud suit, her polite smile firmly in place. I could tell she wasn’t enjoying the conversation; her fingers tapped against her glass in that rhythmic way they did when she was irritated.The man leaned closer, a little too familiar, and I felt my jaw tighten.Before I could second-guess myself, I was already walking toward them, sliding into the conversation with a practiced ease.“Gianna,” I said, my voice cutting cleanly through whatever the guy had been saying. “There you are. I’ve been looking
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-26The Mafia's Nanny 151
151Matteo’s POVDinner with Gianna was an exercise in restraint, though I’m not sure why I bothered anymore. She’d made it clear after the night we spent together that we were employer and employee—nothing more, nothing less.Yet, there I was, sitting across from her at a quiet restaurant, trying not to stare at how the soft lighting caught the warmth of her skin or how her lips curved slightly when she read the menu.“Don’t get the salmon,” I said, breaking the silence.She glanced up, one eyebrow arched. “Why not?”“Because it’s dry here. Trust me, I’ve been to this place enough times to know.”Gianna set the menu down and folded her arms on the table. “And you’re suddenly an expert on everything now?”I smirked, leaning back in my chair. “I’ve been accused of worse.”She rolled her eyes, but there was a flicker of amusement in them. “Fine. What would the expert recommend?”“The risotto,” I said without missing a beat. “It’s one of the few things they don’t manage to ruin.”Her lip
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-27
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The Mafia's Nanny 314
314Matteo’s POV I wasn’t dumb enough to think flowers would fix everything.But I figured they wouldn’t hurt.Today was day fifteen, and I had a bouquet of her favorites—white lilies, blue hydrangeas, and those little yellow flowers she once told me the name of but I immediately forgot—delivered to her office. No big romantic gestures, no grand declarations, just something simple.And a note.Gianna, I meant what I said. I’m sorry. For everything. —MatteoShort. To the point. No extra fluff.I spent the next hour pretending I wasn’t thinking about it. Kept my head down, answered emails, even managed to sit through an entire meeting without checking my phone.Then my office door opened.I looked up, my pulse kicking up a notch, only to find Gianna standing there, holding the bouquet like it was a package she hadn’t ordered.“They’re nice,” she said.I waited, but that was it. No smile. No softening around the edges. Just a factual statement.“Glad you think so.” I tried for a smirk
The Mafia's Nanny 313
313Matteo’s POV I should’ve seen this coming. I should have known that this would happened ever since she disappeared for two months without saying anything.The coldness. The distance. The way Gianna looked at me like I was a stranger, like I hadn’t once known exactly how she liked her coffee, how she twisted the rings on her fingers when she was overthinking, how she sighed my name when I kissed the spot just below her ear.I should have know this would happened. I should’ve been prepared for all of it.But I wasn’t.So instead, I did what any rational man in my position would do—I tortured myself by replaying every single moment we’d ever shared, as if overanalyzing the past would somehow change the present.There were the small things. The way she used to roll her eyes at me but smile anyway. The way she’d call me an idiot, but then pull me closer like she didn’t really mean it. The way she’d lean into me when she was tired, like it was the most natural thing in the world.Then
The Mafia's Nanny 312
312Matteo’s POV Today was day five of trying to win her back. I waited until the end of the day.Not because I was scared, obviously. I just figured if I caught Gianna when she was about to leave, she’d have fewer escape routes.That was the plan. But, like most things involving Gianna lately, it didn’t go how I expected.She was already packing up when I walked into her office.“No knocking now?” she asked, barely sparing me a glance.I ignored that. “We need to talk.”She clicked her laptop shut and slipped it into her bag. “No, we don’t.”I exhaled. “Gianna.”She finally looked up, arms crossed, expression unreadable. “Matteo.”There was a time when her saying my name like that would’ve meant something else. Something teasing, warm, familiar. Now, it was nothing more than acknowledgment. And I hated it.I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “I just want to apologize.”She blinked. “For what?”That threw me off for a second. “For everything.”Her lips pressed together like she was
The Mafia's Nanny 311
311Matteo’s POV I am nothing if not persistent.Or maybe just stupid.Either way, I wasn’t going to let Gianna’s newfound ice-queen routine scare me off. Not yet.So, this next morning, I tried again. Showed up at her office with another coffee—because I’m thoughtful like that—and set it on her desk without a word. I figured a silent approach might work better this time. Less room for her to verbally rip me apart.She didn’t even blink. Didn’t look up, didn’t say thanks, didn’t acknowledge me at all. Just kept typing like I wasn’t even there.Alright then.I leaned against the edge of her desk. “Before you tell me you already have one, I checked. Your cup is empty.”Still nothing. But I saw the slight pause in her typing. A crack in the armor.Progress.“And before you say you don’t want it, this one isn’t coffee.” I nudged the cup closer. “It’s tea. Herbal. The kind you used to drink when you worked late.”That got her. The tiniest flicker of hesitation in her expression. Then, jus
The Mafia's Nanny 310
310Matteo’s POVI waited until lunch.Not because I was nervous. Definitely not. I just figured if I approached her too early, it would seem desperate. And I wasn’t desperate.But as I walked toward her office, a coffee in one hand, a file in the other — a completely real, work-related file, by the way — I felt something tighten in my chest. Like I was heading into enemy territory without armor.Gianna’s door was open. She was at her desk, typing something with the kind of focus that made it clear she had no interest in interruptions. Or people. Or, possibly, happiness in general.I knocked on the doorframe anyway. “Boss.”She barely looked up. “Matteo.”Not Matt. Not Teo. Not even an annoyed sigh. Just my full government name like I was any other employee who needed something from her.Okay. Cool. Professional. I could be professional.I stepped inside, setting the coffee on her desk. “Thought you could use this. Since, you know, you used to actually enjoy caffeine before you left.”
The Mafia's Nanny 309
309Matteo’s POV The office was buzzing the moment Gianna walked in.Not the kind of buzz that came with excitement. No. This was a different kind—muted whispers, stolen glances, people suddenly remembering they had work to do when she passed by. The kind of buzz that meant no one had expected her to show up today. Hell, I hadn’t expected her to show up today.And yet, there she was.Gianna Lorenzo, back in her corner office like she’d never left.Only, she wasn’t the same.I watched from my desk as she strode across the floor, her heels clicking against the tiles in sharp, deliberate beats. The last time I saw her, she was different. Softer, warmer, laughing at my stupid jokes even when she rolled her eyes. This version of her didn’t even glance at anyone. Didn’t offer a single smile. Just walked straight to her office, shut the door, and stayed there.Like a ghost returning to haunt its own life.“She’s… different,” Leo muttered beside me, tapping his pen against his desk.I didn’t
The Mafia's Nanny 308
308Rosa’s POV The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the apartment. I sat on the couch, nursing a cup of coffee, my fingers drumming against the ceramic. I’d come back to the states three days ago to finally pack up and move back to Italy. Across from me, Emilia stared, her lips pursed like she was trying to figure out how to respond to what I’d just told her.“You’re leaving,” she finally said, and it wasn’t a question.I nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s time.”She exhaled, leaning back against the couch. “Time for what? To run away? To bury yourself in business deals and pretend like you don’t care?”I rolled my eyes. “I’m not running away.”Emilia shot me a pointed look. “Rosa, please.”I sighed, setting my cup down. “I need a break. And I need to be there for my father. He’s been handling everything on his own for too long. It’s about time I stepped up.”She folded her arms. “And Allesio?”My stomach clenched at the mention of his name. I forced mys
The Mafia's Nanny 307
307Allesio’s POV The whiskey burned on the way down, but it wasn’t enough to numb the ache in my chest. Nothing was. The dimly lit bar around me hummed with the usual noise—clinking glasses, quiet chatter, the occasional burst of laughter that grated on my nerves. It was ironic how the world kept spinning, people kept living, and I was stuck in this endless loop of regret and self-destruction.I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, staring at it like it held the answers to my misery. Maybe if I drank enough, I’d finally stop seeing her face every time I closed my eyes. Maybe I’d stop hearing her voice in my head, the way she told me to stop chasing her like I was nothing more than an annoying shadow she couldn’t shake off.The bar stool next to me scraped against the floor, but I didn’t look up. I already knew who it was. Only one person would be stupid enough to come find me when I clearly wanted to be alone.Alaric sighed, loud and unimpressed. “How long are you going to do this?
The Mafia's Nanny 306
306Rosa’s POV The jet lag hadn’t hit me yet, but I was already very exhausted and felt done for the day.Italy looked the same as it always did—beautiful, timeless, like it existed in a different universe from the chaos I had left behind. I inhaled the crisp evening air as I stepped out of the sleek black car, the grand estate standing wide in front of me. The Smith family mansion. My father’s empire.The guards stationed outside barely blinked at my arrival, nodding respectfully as I walked past them. I had never lived here full-time, but it was still home in some ways. A piece of me, whether I wanted to admit it or not.The grand doors opened before I could even knock, and there he was—Romano Smith. The infamous Don. My father. He looked the same, even though it seemed he had grown older since the last time I saw him. He was dressed in his usual crisp three-piece suit, his silver hair combed back, his sharp eyes studying me the way they always did, like he was seeing everything I
