Chapter 3 - THE SILVER CREST
I froze, the cool metal of the watch burning my palm.
“Give me that,” Vanessa hissed, lunging toward me.
I didn’t back away. Instead, I handed it straight to Luca.
Luca’s eyes dropped to the open watch. The Rossi crest gleamed in the dim light. The silence in the room shifted from tense to explosive.
“Leo,” Luca said, his tone softening instantly as he looked at his son. “Where did you find this?”
The boy pointed a shaking finger at Vanessa. “She dropped it. In the library. While she was on the phone.”
Vanessa’s face went completely white. “The boy is confused. He’s always making up lies, Luca, you know he has issues—”
“Do not speak about my son,” Luca warned, his voice deathly quiet. He gestured to Marco. “Get Jimmy out of here. Find out exactly who paid him.”
As Marco dragged the struggling man away, Luca turned to Vanessa. “Pack your things. You’re leaving.”
“You can’t do this!” she screamed. “The wedding is next month! Our families—”
“Are done,” Luca finished. He signaled two guards to escort her out.
As Vanessa was pulled away, she locked eyes with me. “You’ll regret this, little housekeeper. I know about your father’s debts. You think you’re safe here? You’re next.”
The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.
Luca walked over to Leo and scooped the boy into his arms. For a mafia boss, his touch was incredibly gentle.
“Are you alright?” Luca asked me, pausing before he left the room.
“I’m fine, sir.”
“You saved Ray’s life tonight. And perhaps mine.” He looked at the Rossi watch in his hand. “Report to my study tomorrow morning. Your duties are changing.”
I didn't sleep that night. Vanessa’s words echoed in my mind. She knew about my father’s gambling debts—the same debts that had forced me to take this job in the first place.
The next morning, I knocked on the heavy oak doors of Luca’s study.
“Enter,” he called out.
He was sitting behind a massive desk, looking exhausted. Leo was sitting on a rug by the window, coloring.
“Ray is recovering at home,” Luca said without looking up. “He will retire with a full pension. But I have a new problem.”
He slid a brown envelope across the desk.
“Vanessa wasn't just planning an ambush last night,” Luca said. “She’s been stealing from me. And according to these banking records...”
May you like
He paused, finally meeting my eyes.
“The money was being wired to an account under your name, Nora.”
