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156

Author: Um_royhan
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-01-29 09:16:34

156

Gianna’s POV

Dinner with the closest board members wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but declining Matteo’s invitation felt like more trouble than it was worth. He’d caught me on my way out of the office, his tone casual but leaving little room for argument.

“Team dinner tomorrow night,” he’d said, leaning against my desk like he had all the time in the world. “We’re celebrating the end of the project. You’ll be there.”

I should have said no, made up an excuse about prior plans, but instead, I nodded, my mouth betraying me.

Now, sitting at a long table in a cozy Italian restaurant with the board members, I questioned that decision.

The chatter around me was loud and cheerful, a mix of work gossip and lighthearted banter. Matteo sat at the head of the table, his sleeves rolled up and a glass of red wine in hand. He looked completely at ease, laughing at something one of the junior analysts said. I tried to ignore the way my eyes kept drifting toward him, the way my chest tight
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  • The Mafia's Nanny    157

    157Gianna’s POVThe morning started with the shrill cry of my alarm slicing through my half-formed dreams. I groaned, slapping at the clock until it silenced itself. The sun was barely up, and I already felt behind.By the time I made it out the door, balancing my bag, a coffee tumbler, and a stack of folders I’d promised myself I’d review last night, I could already feel the dull thrum of a headache forming.The office was the usual chaos by the time I arrived. Phones ringing, people rushing between desks, the steady hum of printers and voices blending into an overwhelming static. I barely had time to set my things down before Matteo appeared in my office and at the edge of my desk, holding a printout in his hand.“This came to my inbox, but I’m pretty sure it’s meant for you,” he said, his tone calm, as if the morning hadn’t already started unraveling.I frowned, taking the paper from him. “Why is it in your inbox?”“I don’t know,” he said, leaning slightly against the edge of my d

    Huling Na-update : 2025-01-30
  • The Mafia's Nanny    158

    158Gianna’s POVThe office felt… empty.Not in the literal sense—every cubicle was occupied, the hum of conversations and clicking keyboards filling the air—but something was missing. I couldn’t pinpoint it at first, brushing off the nagging sensation as a bad case of the Monday blues.By the time lunch rolled around, though, it hit me. Matteo.He hadn’t stopped by my office all morning. No casual comments, no sly smiles, no unsolicited but strangely helpful interventions. Nothing.And for reasons I didn’t care to examine, I noticed.I shouldn’t have, honestly. The man had been a thorn in my side for weeks, with his relentless determination to worm his way past my defenses. I couldn’t fire him as much as I’d thought about the idea countless times. Alaric brought him in. God knew how dangerous Matteo himself was even with his charming exterior. I should’ve been relieved to have some space, to be able to focus without his looming presence.But I wasn’t.Instead, I found myself glancing

    Huling Na-update : 2025-01-30
  • The Mafia's Nanny    159

    159Matteo’s POVThere comes a point when you realize you’ve done all you can.That was the thought rattling around in my head as I watched Gianna from across the conference room. She was presenting a summary of the latest numbers to the client, her voice steady, her confidence unmistakable.She was brilliant.She was also driving me insane.For weeks now, I’d been patient. Careful. I’d pulled back when she seemed overwhelmed, pushed gently when she seemed open, and kept myself in check when all I wanted to do was shake some sense into her.But tonight, I’d had enough. I needed to talk to her. I needed to know one last time if this was ever going to work or if I was chasing after something impossible.I found myself marching to her office. Everyone else had left by seven, leaving the floor quiet. She and I were the only ones remaining here, except for the security who made their rounds every now and then.Gianna was in her office, her desk lamp casting a warm glow over her as she pore

    Huling Na-update : 2025-01-31
  • The Mafia's Nanny    160

    160Matteo’s POVThere’s something liberating about surrendering to a decision you don’t entirely agree with. I’d told Gianna I wouldn’t push her, and now I had no choice but to honor that promise.So, I shifted my focus to work. Full steam ahead.Monday morning came with a mountain of emails and back-to-back meetings. Perfect. It gave me something to concentrate on that wasn’t her.That decision lasted all of two hours.By the time the coffee run became unavoidable, I knew I was in trouble. Not because I wanted coffee—I needed it—but because her order was already in my head before I’d even reached the counter.Black coffee, two sugars. It wasn’t difficult to remember, but the fact that I couldn’t forget it was the problem.When I returned to the office, I placed her cup on the edge of her desk without a word.Gianna glanced up, startled. “What’s this?”“Coffee,” I replied, already walking away.“Matteo,” she called after me, her tone suspicious.I turned back. “Yes?”She squinted at

    Huling Na-update : 2025-01-31
  • The Mafia's Nanny    161

    161Gianna’s POVI was still reeling from the meeting with our new client when I found myself sitting across from Claire, my mentor and the one person whose advice I always trusted, even when I didn’t want to.Her office smelled like lavender and freshly brewed tea. A stranger would be surprised her office felt homely, due to the corporate and professional vibes it gave off from outside. Claire had been instrumental in shaping my career. She was older than me by a lot, but we still had a very great friendly vibes.“I’ve been hearing things,” she said, folding her hands on the desk.“Things?” I repeated, pretending not to know what she meant.She sighed, tilting her head in that way she always did when she knew I was being intentionally dense. “About you and Matteo.”I stiffened. “How do you know about Matteo?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. And then I scoffed when I remembered that Claire used to work in the office and she still had eyes and ears in it. “I swear to God, Claire, the da

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-01
  • The Mafia's Nanny    162

    162Matteo’s POVThe tension between Gianna and me was suffocating as fuck. Every clipped response, every sidelong glance, every excuse to avoid being alone with me—it was like she’d built a wall overnight, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t break through. It was driving me through the edge. It was driving me through the breaking point.I wasn’t blind. I knew why she was pulling away. Her ambition. Her fear. Whatever internal battle she was waging, it was clear I’d been labeled the enemy.But I wasn’t about to accept that. Not when I knew what we had was real.Most of the office had cleared out, the faint hum of printers and distant voices dwindling into silence. Gianna was still at her desk, her brow furrowed as she stared at her laptop.I got up from my desk and walked over to her office, determined to talk to her today.I leaned against the doorway to her office, crossing my arms. “You planning on sleeping here tonight?”She didn’t look up. “I have a few things to finish.”

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-01
  • The Mafia's Nanny    163

    163Gianna’s POVI couldn’t get his voice out of my head.“I’m in love with you.”The words had hit me like a sucker punch, leaving me breathless and unsteady. Hours later, I was still sitting at my desk, staring blankly at the screen as if sheer willpower could force my brain to focus on the numbers in front of me. But it was no use. My mind was a battlefield, and Matteo’s words were winning every skirmish.What scared me the most wasn’t that he said it. It wasn’t even the raw, unflinching way he’d looked at me when he did. No, what terrified me was the fact that some part of me wanted to believe him. That part of me wanted to convince me that he was telling the truth. That he does love me. And I was fighting that part with every fibre of my being.I pushed my chair back with a sigh, rubbing at my temples. The office was empty now, save for the cleaning crew somewhere down the hall. The stillness should have been comforting, but it only amplified the chaos in my head.I’d spent my en

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-02
  • The Mafia's Nanny    164

    164Matteo’s POVI’d just sunk into my chair after back-to-back meetings when Gianna’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and commanding.“Matteo, in my office. Now.”No preamble, no softening. Just an order. I frowned, wondering what the hell she wanted that couldn’t wait. God. I almost cursed as I sat up straight.The room went quiet as heads turned toward me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the spectacle and instead stood, smoothing my tie as I made my way to her door.Gianna was already behind her desk when I walked in, her focus razor-sharp on the documents scattered across the polished wood. She didn’t look up immediately, but I could see the way her shoulders were stiff and I could have sworn there was an electric charge in the air.“Close the door,” she said curtly, still not meeting my gaze.I complied, folding my arms as I leaned against the frame. “What’s the emergency?”She finally looked up, her eyes blazing with equal parts determination and frustration. “There’s a

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-02

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  • The Mafia's Nanny    280

    280Emilia’s POV I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I just ran.My heart pounded in my chest as I shoved open the door to Alonso’s house, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts. I barely registered the grand hallway, the expensive furniture, the tension in the air thick enough to choke me.All I saw was them.Alaric.Alonso.Standing in the middle of the room, guns raised, pure hatred burning in their eyes.And then—Alonso’s finger twitched on the trigger.“NO!” I screamed, my voice cracking as I threw myself between them.It was instinct, reckless and stupid, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even think about it, I just moved. My arms spread wide, my body the only thing standing between them.“Are you both insane?” I shouted, my voice shaking.Alaric’s eyes snapped to me, wild with rage and something else something darker.“Get out of the way, Emilia,” he said, his voice low, deadly.“No,” I shot back. “You get out of the way.”His jaw clenched. “This isn’t your fight.”“The hell it

  • The Mafia's Nanny    279

    279Alaric’s POVAlonso leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out like we were having a casual conversation instead of a standoff. His gun was still within reach, but he hadn’t gone for it. Neither had I.Not yet.“You’re awfully quiet,” he noted. “Did I hit a nerve?”I scoffed, keeping my gun trained on him. “You haven’t said anything worth responding to.”He smirked. “Maybe I should.”I narrowed my eyes, watching him closely. His demeanor had shifted slightly—not cocky, not smug. Something else. Something that made my instincts sharpen.Alonso exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the table. “You think you know everything about why our families hate each other. But you don’t, Alaric.”I let out a humorless laugh. “You killed my brother. That’s all I need to know.”He shook his head. “That was an accident.”I stiffened. “Bullshit.”His eyes darkened. “You think I wanted Dominic dead? You think I went out that night planning for this to happen?”I said nothing, but my gr

  • The Mafia's Nanny    278

    278Alaric’s POVThe night was still, the kind of stillness that came before a storm. The kind that made your gut twist in anticipation, like the world itself was holding its breath. I barely noticed.All I could feel was the fire burning inside me.I gripped the gun in my hand, my fingers tightening around the cold metal as I stepped out of the car. I stood in the front of Alonso’s mansion, watching as his guards moved around relaxed without suspecting anything at all.Good.He wouldn’t see me coming.My footsteps were steady as I moved up the driveway, my mind sharp, focused. Every part of me was locked in, my rage simmering just beneath the surface. The guards at the front barely had time to react before I took them down quick, clean, quiet.I didn’t come here for them.I came for him.The door to his house wasn’t locked. Arrogant bastard.I pushed it open without hesitation, stepping inside. The place was dark, but I knew he was here.I could feel him.A few more steps, and then—

  • The Mafia's Nanny    277

    277Emilia’s POVI knew something was wrong the second I walked into the house. The energy was different—charged, electric, like the air before a storm. The staff avoided eye contact, moving quickly, their silence heavier than usual. My stomach twisted.Then I saw him.Alaric stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in all black, a gun strapped to his side, his expression cold and unreadable.My heart nearly stopped.No.No, no, no.I stepped forward, my voice sharper than I intended. “Where are you going?”He didn’t even flinch. Didn’t hesitate.“To finish what should’ve been done a long time ago.”I sucked in a shaky breath. I already knew what he meant, but I asked anyway, hoping, praying, I was wrong.“To kill Alonso.”A simple statement. Flat. Like he was announcing he was going out for coffee.Panic clawed up my throat. “Alaric, please—”“No.” His voice was sharp, final.I took another step toward him. “You can’t do this.”“I have to do this.”“No, you don’t!” I nearly sh

  • The Mafia's Nanny    276

    276Emilia’s POV The house was quiet when I walked in, which was unusual. Normally, there was at least some noise—Francesca’s laughter echoing through the halls, the distant hum of conversation, or the occasional sound of Alaric’s men moving around. But tonight, everything felt… still. Too still.It wasn’t long ago that I returned from my trip with Rosa and Francesca, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The time away had been refreshing, a much-needed break from everything. But as soon as I stepped inside, that feeling disappeared, replaced by a kind of suffocating feeling.I set my bag down and started toward the stairs when I heard voices coming from Alaric’s office. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the door was cracked open, and my name stopped me in my tracks.“She can’t know about this, not yet,” Alaric’s voice was sharp, controlled.I frowned and stepped closer.“I understand,” Allesio replied. “But are you sure about this? Going after Alonso like this… it’s going to start a

  • The Mafia's Nanny    275

    275Emilia’s POVI needed a break.Desperately.Between Alaric’s mood swings, the tension in the house, and the unshakable feeling that something was being kept from me, I was losing my mind. And I knew Rosa could sense it too because she was the one who suggested this trip.“Two days,” she had said, grinning as she packed a bag in my room while I sat on the bed, watching her like she had lost it. “No men. No stress. Just me, you, and Francesca.”I had hesitated at first. Leaving Alaric like this felt… wrong. But what was I even staying for? To keep watching him glare at his phone and snap at Allesio without telling me why?So here we were, driving up the coast, Francesca singing along to whatever pop song was playing on the radio while Rosa handled the wheel with her usual confidence.I sighed, leaning my head against the window as the salty breeze from the ocean drifted into the car.“Okay, spill,” Rosa said, shooting me a glance.I frowned. “Spill what?”“Whatever it is that’s been

  • The Mafia's Nanny    274

    274Alaric’s POVI sat in my office, fingers steepled as I stared at the map spread across my desk. The Cruz estate was marked with red, the layout burned into my mind. I had spent hours going over every possible entry point, every possible weakness. Alonso Cruz would not see me coming.I had been waiting for this moment.A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I quickly gathered the papers, shoving them into a drawer before calling out, “Come in.”The door opened, and Emilio stepped inside, his expression grim. “We’re ready.”I nodded. “Good. Lock the doors.”He closed the door behind him, locking it before moving toward the chair across from me. “Allesio still doesn’t know?”I clenched my jaw. “No. And he won’t.”Emilio frowned. “Alaric—”“No,” I cut him off. “He had his chance to be honest with me. He chose to lie. He chose to protect Alonso.”Emilio sighed but didn’t argue. He knew better.I had made my decision.“You’re sure about this?” he asked after a moment.I lean

  • The Mafia's Nanny    273

    273Alaric’s POVFrancesca giggled as she sat on my lap, swinging her little legs back and forth. She had insisted on playing with my watch, her tiny fingers fumbling with the strap. I let her. Anything to see her smile.“Daddy, look!” she said excitedly, holding up my watch like it was the greatest treasure in the world. “It’s too big for me.”I chuckled, adjusting the strap so it wouldn’t slide off her wrist. “That’s because you’re too small, princess.”She pouted. “I’m not small. I’m big.”“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow. “How big?”Francesca stretched her arms as wide as she could, her eyes sparkling with determination. “This big!”I smirked, tapping her nose lightly. “Still too small to wear my watch.”She huffed but quickly got distracted, playing with the buttons on my sleeve. I watched her, my chest tightening.She had no idea.No idea that I wasn’t really her father.No idea that the man she called ‘Daddy’ wasn’t the one who had given her life. And she never would have known i

  • The Mafia's Nanny    272

    272Alaric’s POVRage was a living, breathing thing inside me. It burned through my veins, consuming every rational thought, leaving only the raw, seething anger that had taken root in my soul since the truth came out. The Cruz family. Those bastards had killed Dominic. And Allesio—someone I trusted, someone who was supposed to be my right hand—had known all along. He had kept it from me. Lied to my face.I gritted my teeth as I sat in my office, gripping the armrests of my chair so hard that the leather creaked beneath my fingers. The image of my brother’s face flashed in my mind—Dominic, who had always had my back, who had always put family first. He was gone. And the people responsible had been breathing easy all this time.Because Allesio let them.I slammed my fist onto the desk, sending a glass of whiskey toppling over. The amber liquid spilled across the wood, but I didn’t give a damn. My chest heaved as I forced myself to calm down. It didn’t work.The sound of heels clicking

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