Chapter 11 - The New Arrangement
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The night passed in agonizingly slow minutes. Hannah sat by the window of the guest suite, watching the dark driveway, waiting for the armored SUVs to return.
She didn't know what to feel. She was a maid. A civilian. She had spent her life scrubbing floors and keeping her head down. Now, she was wrapped in silk sheets, waiting for a mafia boss to return from a bloodbath, and her heart was completely, terrifyingly invested in his survival.
Just before dawn, the headlights cut through the darkness.
The vehicles pulled up to the estate. Victor stepped out of the lead SUV. He looked exhausted, his dark coat dusted with snow, but he was alive.
Hannah let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.
The next morning, Victor summoned her to his private study.
The room smelled of rich mahogany and old books. Victor sat behind his desk, looking over a stack of documents.
“The Romanov threat has been neutralized,” Victor announced calmly as she entered. “Alexei will no longer be causing problems in this city.”
“I’m glad you are safe,” Hannah said, standing awkwardly near the door.
“Sit down, Hannah,” he commanded gently.
She took a seat in the plush leather chair opposite his desk.
“You can no longer work as a maid in this house,” Victor stated.
Hannah’s heart dropped. She had known this was coming. She knew too much. She had seen too much. He was going to pay her off and send her away.
“I understand, Mr. Castellano. I’ll pack my things.”
“You misunderstand me,” Victor interrupted, standing up and walking around the desk. He leaned against the edge, looking down at her. “You cannot be a maid because it is too dangerous. The staff gossip. If anyone outside these walls learns that you survived Gregory’s betrayal, you become a target. You are a loose end.”
“So what happens to us?” she asked, panic rising in her chest.
“You are moving into the master wing permanently,” Victor declared. “You are no longer an employee. You are my personal guest. You and Poppy will want for nothing. I will protect you with the full force of my organization.”
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“Victor, I can't just live here for free. I have to work. I have to provide for my daughter.”
“You provided for her by saving the ledgers,” Victor said, his eyes intense. “You saved my empire, Hannah. Allow me to save you in return.”
