Chapter 5 - The Offer
By Monday afternoon, my life had completely diverged from its ordinary track.
I had tried to go back to my apartment. I had tried to go back to my shifts at Aurelia. But every time I stepped out of my apartment building, a sleek black SUV was parked across the street, discreetly watching over me.
And every evening at six, Luca’s driver delivered a fresh bouquet of white lilies and a simple handwritten note: He isn't eating his dinner. Please.
On Tuesday evening, I gave in. I packed a small duffel bag and let Marco drive me back to Chestnut Hill.
Within two weeks, I had moved into the guest suite on the second floor of the Moretti estate. My job description was simple: care for Leo, stay close to him, and help him heal. But the boundaries between employee and employer vanished almost immediately.
I stopped wearing my waitress uniform and started wearing soft cashmere sweaters. I cooked meals in the giant marble kitchen while Leo babbled from his high chair. And every evening at seven, Luca would return home from his corporate office—or his syndicate meetings—strip off his weapon and suit jacket at the door, and join us in the living room.
For three weeks, we lived in a strange, beautiful bubble of domestic safety.
We sat on the floor playing with wooden blocks. I taught Luca how to mix formula without making it clumpy. He taught me how to read the subtle shifts in Leo’s expressions. We talked late into the night over glasses of vintage Italian wine, speaking of our childhoods, my father’s quiet life as a mechanic, and the heavy burden Luca had carried since taking over his family's empire.
“You’re smiling more,” I noted one evening as we sat on the back patio watching the stars.
Luca looked at me, his dark eyes reflected in the warm glow of the patio lights. “Because for the first time in my life, coming home doesn't feel like entering another war zone.”
He reached across the table, his warm, rough hand covering mine. My breath hitched. The touch sent a wave of heat straight to my core.
“Avery,” he murmured, his thumb lightly brushing the back of my knuckles. “I didn't bring you here just for Leo.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “Luca…”
“I know who I am,” he said softly, his tone laced with a fierce, protective honesty. “I know the world I live in is dark. But you brought light into this house. You made my son laugh, and you made me remember what it feels like to be human.”
He leaned forward, his face inches from mine. I didn't pull away. I leaned in, meeting him halfway, as his lips brushed gently against mine in a kiss that was slow, deep, and intoxicating.
The kiss broke only when a sudden, harsh phone call buzzed against the glass table.
Luca pulled back slowly, his eyes dark with desire as he checked the screen. His expression instantly turned to stone.
May you like
“What is it?” I asked, sensing the sudden shift in the air.
“It’s Uncle Dominic,” Luca said, his voice cold as ice. “He’s called an emergency council meeting of the five Philadelphia families for tomorrow night.”
