Chapter 3 - The Boy Under the Table
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“He hasn’t eaten a single thing since noon,” a terrified housekeeper whispered to Norah, wringing her hands near the doorway.
Norah didn't wait for permission. She dropped her heavy duffel bag onto the marble floor and crouched down, ignoring the intense, heavy gaze of the mafia boss sitting at the head of the table.
She peered under the heavy linen tablecloth. A small boy with dark, messy hair and terrified eyes was clutching his knees to his chest.
Norah picked up a plastic superhero action figure that had been abandoned on the expensive Persian rug. She grabbed a silver spoon from the table, scooped up a small amount of mashed potatoes, and offered it directly toward the toy’s molded plastic mouth.
“Bad news, Captain,” Norah said casually, keeping her voice completely normal. “I just read the latest manual. Heroes who skip dinner get weak arms. They can't fly tomorrow.”
Two highly suspicious, dark eyes appeared from the shadows beneath the tablecloth.
“They don’t,” a small, defiant voice whispered.
“On an empty stomach?” Norah countered, raising an eyebrow. “They absolutely can.”
“Prove it.”
The boy slowly crawled out from his hiding spot. He snatched the silver spoon from her hand, glaring at her, and took one angry, defiant bite of the potatoes.
He chewed aggressively. Then, he took another bite.
By the third spoonful, he was sitting in his chair, quietly feeding himself, keeping a close eye on his superhero figure.
Norah stood up, wiping her hands on her coat. “He didn’t need to lose a battle of wills,” she said softly.
Luca Castellano looked at her, his steel-gray eyes piercing through her like physical blades.
“He needed a choice,” Luca replied, his deep voice vibrating in the quiet room.
Something imperceptible shifted behind his cold eyes as he evaluated the curvy, soaked woman standing in his dining room. She hadn't flinched at the guards. She hadn't pandered to him. She had just solved the problem.
Later, sitting across from a massive mahogany desk in his private, soundproof study, Luca explained the reality of the situation. Leo was his late sister’s son, orphaned six months ago. Luca was legally his father now.
“Every nanny I hire eventually leaves,” Luca said, pouring two glasses of amber liquid. “They get scared of my life, or they try to climb into my bed. Leo expects everyone to disappear eventually. It’s breaking him.”
“I need absolute stability for that boy,” Luca continued, setting a glass in front of her.
May you like
Norah folded her arms tightly across her chest, refusing the drink. “What exactly are you offering, Mr. Castellano?”
“Legal marriage,” Luca stated without a single blink.
