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2025-04-02 13:12:58
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The Mafia's Nanny 264
264Allesio’s POV.“You’re lying to yourself, Allesio. And it’s going to destroy you.”Rosa’s voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade, sharp and deliberate. I looked up from the glass in my hand, the amber liquid trembling slightly as I set it down. Her words hung in the air, daring me to respond, but for a moment, I didn’t. I couldn’t.Instead, I leaned back against the chair, exhaling slowly. “What am I supposed to say to that?” I muttered, my tone edged with exhaustion. “You want me to admit you’re right? That I’m falling apart? That I don’t have the first clue how to fix any of this?”“I want you to stop pretending you can carry all of it alone.” Rosa crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. “Because you can’t. And if you don’t realize that soon, it’ll cost us everything.”I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration boiling over. “And what exactly do you suggest, huh? Just tell Alaric the truth and hope he doesn’t tear the world apart looking for revenge? Because that’s exa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-02The Mafia's Nanny 265
265Rosa’s POVIt was late when Allesio finally came back into to the condo. The air between us wasn’t just tense—it felt fragile, like a glass already cracked and on the verge of shattering. But this time, it wasn’t about the Cruz family or Dominic’s death. Something else weighed on him.“Allesio?” I called softly, setting my book down on the nightstand. He paused in the doorway, his hand resting on the frame like it was the only thing holding him up.“Rosa.” His voice was low, almost hoarse, and I knew whatever he was carrying wasn’t just another argument waiting to happen.I stood, crossing the room until I was close enough to see the faint lines of worry etched on his face. “What is it?”He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “There’s trouble at the docks.”My stomach clenched. “Again?” I breathed out.“Yes. Again,” he murmured in reply.“What happened?” I asked.“Alaric got word that a shipment went missing. Weapons, high-grade. Some of the guys think it’s a setup.” His jaw tight
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-03The Mafia's Nanny 266
266Allesio’s POVIt had been a week since I made that promise to Rosa. Since I promised her that I won’t tell Alaric. And each day felt like a weight pressing down harder on my chest. The guilt of keeping the secret, the guilt of betraying Alaric, was gnawing at me, and I couldn’t escape it. The promise I’d made to her—I won’t tell Alaric, I won’t tell anyone—had started to feel less like a vow and more like a cage I couldn’t break out of.I spent more time at the mansion than her condo now, hoping to bury my thoughts under the grind of work. I told myself that keeping my focus on Alaric, on what I owed him, would keep my head straight. But every time I looked at him, every time I saw his face, the guilt flared up again. It didn’t matter that Rosa was the one I loved. I had a duty to Alaric that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much my heart pulled me in the other direction.This war with myself—loyalty versus love—was eating away at me.I had just stepped off the elevator when I bum
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-03The Mafia's Nanny 267
267Allesio’s POVThe buzz of the conversation around me faded as I stared blankly ahead, the voices becoming a dull hum. Alaric was talking about something—some issue with the Cruz family, I think—but it didn’t matter. His words blurred into the background. My mind was somewhere else entirely, a place I didn’t want to go but couldn’t stop myself from falling into.I clenched my fists under the table, the memory creeping in like an unwelcome guest.“You’re awfully quiet,” Alaric said, glancing at me as he tried to balance Francesca on his lap. She was squirming, reaching for the pen he’d set down on the table a moment earlier.“I’m listening,” I replied, my voice rough as I dragged myself back to the present.“You don’t look like you are,” Alaric muttered, handing Francesca the pen in defeat. She giggled, immediately starting to scribble nonsense on the notepad in front of her.“Sorry,” I said, exhaling sharply. “What were you saying?”“The Cruz family,” Alaric said, his tone sharp, t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-04The Mafia's Nanny 268
268Allesio’s POVI stood there, frozen in place, as Alaric’s anger washed over me like a tidal wave. His words hit hard, each one sinking deeper than the last. I had been trying so hard to keep my head above water, but now everything I had been avoiding came crashing down.He didn’t say anything right now, just stood there, his jaw clenched, eyes dark with frustration. He was waiting for me to speak, but I couldn’t. My mind was spinning, tangled in the web of lies and omissions I had spun.Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low but lethal. “So this whole time, you’ve been holding back? You’ve known what happened to Dominic, and you didn’t say a word?”I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Alaric, I—”“Don’t,” he cut me off sharply. “Don’t give me some excuse. I asked you to get close to Rosa and get information. You promised me you’d find the truth. And now you’re telling me you knew it all along and kept it from me?”I opened my mouth again, but the words caught in my throat. Ther
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-04The Mafia's Nanny 269
269Rosa’s POVThe day had started off like any other, or at least it was supposed to. I had spent the morning in the garden, tending to my flowers, letting my mind wander. I loved the peace that came with it, the way the world slowed down, even if just for a few minutes. But that afternoon, things didn’t feel as peaceful as usual. Something was off. And I could feel it in the air, thick and heavy, like the storm was about to break.I tried to brush it off, but as soon as I spotted Allesio across the courtyard, my heart skipped a beat. He was walking toward me, but his steps were slower than usual, his head hanging low. It wasn’t his usual confident stride. There was hesitation in the way he moved, amd it was hard to ignore.“Allesio,” I called softly. He looked up at me, and for a moment, I saw a flash of something—guilt, maybe?—pass through his eyes before it was gone, replaced by his usual guarded expression.“Rosa,” he said. He didn’t sound like he was excited to see me and that b
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-05The Mafia's Nanny 270
270Rosa’s POVI threw my phone onto the hotel bed and let out a dramatic groan. “Emilia, I swear to God, if I see another text about business, I’m throwing this damn thing in the ocean.”Emilia, lounging in her fluffy white robe, sipped her cocktail and smirked. “Do it. I dare you.”I narrowed my eyes. “You just want to see me suffer when I have to explain to my father why I’m unreachable.”“Absolutely,” she said, raising her glass. “That’s what best friends are for.”I rolled my eyes but grabbed my drink from the nightstand and clinked it against hers. “To escaping the insanity, at least for a few days.”“To bad decisions,” Emilia added with a grin.I sighed dramatically. “As long as none of them involve work, I’m in.”We spent the next hour getting ready, blasting music as we did our hair and makeup. For once, I wasn’t thinking about threats, alliances, or negotiations—I was just Rosa, a woman on vacation with her best friend.As we stepped out onto the balcony, overlooking the oce
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-05The Mafia's Nanny 271
271Allesio’s POVI tried to act normal. I really did. But every time I looked at Rosa, the truth of what I’d done pressed harder against my chest, making it impossible to breathe.She didn’t know. Not yet. And God, I wished I could keep it that way forever.We were sitting in the garden, the scent of freshly watered flowers thick in the air. Rosa was trimming some roses, focused, quiet. It was the first moment we’d had alone since she came back from her trip with Emilia.“Did you enjoy it?” I asked, my voice steady.She glanced at me, eyes suspicious. “Why are you asking like that?”I forced a smirk. “Like what?”“Like you actually care.”I scoffed, leaning back against the bench. “I do care. You act like I’m a heartless bastard.”She snorted. “Because you are.”I should’ve laughed, thrown a snarky remark back, but the words hit different now. If she knew what I had done, she’d mean it.She went back to snipping away at the roses, her silence unsettling. I used to find comfort in our
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-06
Bab terbaru
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
