Chapter 5 - The Unspoken Pact
The room fell into an echoing silence. Richard shifted uncomfortably in the hallway. Alessandro’s expression hardened, but his eyes betrayed a profound, buried pain.
"She hasn't slept through the night in eleven months," Alessandro said, his voice barely a rasp. "Not until your daughter walked into this room."
Elena looked from Alessandro to the baby sleeping quietly in the crib. The legendary, feared mob boss looked stripped of his armor, staring at a mother and child who had inadvertently solved a heartbreak no amount of money or security could fix.
"She can stay," Alessandro announced, standing back up to his full height.
Elena blinked, stunned. "Sir?"
"You will not pack your things. You will remain on staff," Alessandro instructed sternly. "But under one condition: your daughter does not wander this house alone at night. If she comes here, you bring her yourself."
"I... understand, Mr. Moretti. Thank you."
May you like
"Richard," Alessandro called out without looking back. "Assign two extra men to the west wing corridor. No one enters or leaves without my explicit authorization."
As Elena carried Mia back to their wing, she realized her life had shifted into dangerous territory. She was no longer just a hired housekeeper hiding from her past; she and her daughter had been drawn directly into the heart of Alessandro Moretti’s private world.
