Chapter 3 - I Discovered The Man Beneath The Dangerous Reputation**
I woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows.
For a second, I forgot where I was.
Then the memories of the gala came flooding back.
Nolan’s hand on my arm.
Dante’s cold voice.
The kiss that changed everything.
I got up and walked to the window.
Below, two guards patrolled the front gate.
Everything was quiet.
Peaceful.
Clara, the housekeeper, knocked on the door a few minutes later.
She was a warm, middle-aged woman with kind eyes.
She brought me breakfast and a set of new clothes.
“Mr. Moretti sent these,” she said, setting the clothes on the bed.
“Said they should fit. He also said to tell you he’ll be by around noon to talk.”
I ate the breakfast she brought, my stomach growling more than I wanted to admit.
The clothes fit perfectly.
Soft jeans, a warm sweater, comfortable shoes.
Nothing like the tight, fancy dresses Nolan always made me wear.
Dante arrived right at noon.
He was wearing a dark suit, as always, but he looked less intimidating in the daylight.
Tired, almost.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, sitting across from me at the kitchen table.
“Better than I have in months,” I admitted.
He nodded.
“Good. My men got your things from your apartment while Nolan was at work. They’re in the guest bedroom. And I had the locks changed on the place. He won’t be able to get in.”
“Thank you,” I said again.
It felt like all I ever said to him was thank you.
He waved it off.
“There’s something else we need to discuss. You can’t stay hidden here forever. I have a position open at one of my legitimate businesses. A real estate development firm. Administrative work. Nothing dangerous. Good pay. You’d be working in a secure building, surrounded by people I trust. You could start rebuilding your life.”
I stared at him, surprised.
“You don’t have to do that. I can find my own job—”
“I know you can,” he interrupted.
“But this way, I know you’re safe. And you wouldn’t be taking charity. You’d be earning it. I’ve seen your resume, Elena. You’re good at what you do. Better than most of the people I currently have working for me.”
I blinked.
“You looked at my resume?”
“I had my assistant pull it last night,” he said, not looking ashamed at all.
“I don’t do anything halfway, Elena. If I’m going to protect someone, I make sure I know everything I can about them first.”
I thought about it.
A real job.
A chance to be independent again.
To not have to rely on anyone.
And the chance to see Dante more often.
That last thought made my heart skip a beat, and I quickly pushed it away.
“Okay,” I said softly.
“I’ll take the job.”
A small, genuine smile touched Dante’s lips.
It was the first real smile I’d ever seen from him.
It transformed his whole face, making him look younger, warmer.
“Good. You start Monday.”
Over the next few weeks, I got to know Dante better.
I saw him at the office, sharp and brilliant as he made deals and ran his empire.
I saw him with Clara, teasing her gently about her cooking.
I saw him with the children from the local community center he funded, playing with them like he had all the time in the world.
I learned he had lost his wife and young son to a rival family’s attack ten years earlier.
That was why he was so protective.
That was why he hated seeing anyone hurt.
That was why he had stepped in for me.
And slowly, against all reason, I started to fall for him.
May you like
Not the dangerous mafia boss everyone feared.
But the quiet, kind, honorable man beneath the reputation.
