Chapter 4 - The Dinner Invitation
The tension in the penthouse did not dissipate with Lucas’s reassurances. Over the next three days, security was visibly tightened. Men in plainclothes patrolled the lobby, and Mateo’s usual park visits were restricted to the private courtyard behind the building.
Hannah found herself observing Lucas with new eyes. He wasn't just a wealthy businessman with high-end real estate holdings; he was a man walking a razor-thin line between legitimate commerce and a brutal syndicate war. Yet, around his son, he was unfailingly gentle. She had watched him spend an hour on Saturday night assembling a plastic model spaceship piece by piece, his large hands working with surprising dexterity while Mateo chattered away about stars and rockets.
On Tuesday evening, after Mateo was asleep, Hannah was sitting at the kitchen island grading a workbook she had put together for him when Lucas walked in. He had removed his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves to reveal forearms corded with muscle and faint scars from old altercations.
"You're working late," Lucas observed, pouring himself a glass of water.
"I’m just organizing his reading modules for next week," Hannah said, closing the workbook. "Mr. Ravellini... about last Thursday. Victor Thorne. Is he going to be a recurring problem?"
Lucas took a slow sip of water, leaning against the counter across from her. "Victor Thorne is a scavenger. He wants a piece of the East River shipping terminals that my family has controlled for thirty years. He thinks that by applying pressure on my household, he can force me to yield at the negotiating table."
"And can he?" Hannah asked, holding his gaze.
"No," Lucas said simply. "Men like Thorne only understand force. I am currently arranging a permanent solution to his interference."
There was no boast in his voice, no theatrical posturing. Just the cold, mathematical certainty of a predator protecting his territory.
"You didn't have to hire me," Hannah said softly, looking down at the marble counter. "You could have hired someone with high-society connections, someone who knows how to navigate this world, someone who wouldn't be a liability when men like Thorne show up."
Lucas walked around the island, stopping just a few feet away from her chair. "If I wanted someone who knew how to navigate this world, Hannah, I would have hired Camille or Sarah. I didn't need a socialite. I needed someone with a spine. On Friday afternoon, when Mateo tested all five of you, you were the only one who didn't try to sell me a version of what you thought I wanted to hear. You were real. In my line of work, real is nearly impossible to find."
Hannah looked up, her breath catching in her throat. The proximity between them was suddenly charged with an intensity that had nothing to do with contracts or employment.
Before either of them could speak, Lucas cleared his throat, stepping back slightly. "There is a charity gala this Saturday night at the Plaza Hotel. It’s a mandatory public appearance for my real estate holdings. I need you to attend with Mateo and me. The press will be there. I want it understood very clearly that my household is stable, secure, and untouchable."
Hannah blinked, surprised. "You want me to go to the Plaza? As part of the... public presentation?"
"As Mateo’s nanny," Lucas corrected, though his eyes held a flicker of amusement. "Unless, of course, you don't have a dress suitable for a ballroom."
May you like
Hannah felt a sudden flash of pride. "I know how to dress for an event, Mr. Ravellini. I may have been living in a Brooklyn walk-up, but I haven't forgotten how to brush my hair."
Lucas let out a low, genuine laugh—a sound that transformed his stern face entirely, making him look younger, dangerously handsome, and entirely human. "I look forward to seeing it, Ms. Cooper."
