Chapter 3 - The Shadow of Moretti
By morning, the rain had stopped, leaving the city washed in a cold, grey autumn fog.
The transition inside the Corvino estate was swift and absolute. Before the sun had fully risen, two female staff members—under Matteo’s personal supervision—had moved all of Nina’s modest belongings into the master suite. High-end cribs, silk baby blankets, and expensive designer clothes for both Nina and Maya began arriving in heavy black garment bags delivered by elite security couriers.
The rest of the household staff was in a state of quiet shock.
Rumors spread through the servants' quarters like wildfire. The quiet, plain maid who had been hired four months ago to scrub floors and dust crystal chandeliers was now living in Don Matteo’s private quarters. More shockingly, the feared boss—a man who had spent five years in total isolation—was seen walking through the marble hallways carrying a baby girl on his shoulder while reading financial reports.
In the sunlit conservatory on the ground floor, Nina sat in a plush armchair, watching Maya bounce happily in a handcrafted wooden jumper.
The door opened, and Matteo walked in. He had traded his usual suit jacket for a soft black cashmere sweater, though the shoulder holster beneath was still subtly visible. He carried a silver tray with two porcelain cups of hot coffee.
“You didn't have to bring me coffee,” Nina said softly, feeling a blush warm her cheeks as he set the tray down on the marble table beside her. “I used to make this for you.”
“You are not my employee anymore, Nina,” Matteo said, sitting down in the armchair opposite her. He took a sip of his black coffee, his sharp dark eyes fixed on her. “You are the mother of my child. In this house, your word carries the same weight as mine.”
Nina looked down at her hands. The contrast between her past life—struggling to pay rent in cheap motels, constantly checking over her shoulder—and this unimaginable luxury was overwhelming.
“Matteo,” Nina said quietly, raising her hazel eyes to meet his. “What happens now? Dante Moretti isn't going to just walk away. If he realizes Maya is Valeria’s baby, he will use every man he has to kill her.”
Matteo’s expression hardened, a glint of steel flashing in his eyes. “Dante is desperate. The police are closing in on his illegal shipping docks, and his syndicate is losing money. He wanted Valeria’s baby dead five years ago because he thought her existence would unify the Corvino allies against him.”
He leaned forward, placing his hand over hers on the table.
“He doesn't know you have the baby,” Matteo continued. “He thinks I am hiding a key witness from Chicago. But yesterday’s stunt proved we have a leak inside this house.”
Nina gasped softly. “A leak? Inside the mansion?”
“Dante knew the exact time you joined my staff four months ago,” Matteo explained coldly. “He knew which gate security shift was weakest last night. Someone close to me is selling information.”
Before Nina could process the terrifying thought, the grand doors of the conservatory pushed open.
A man in his late thirties with slicked-back dark hair and a sharp, arrogant smile stepped into the room. It was Enzo Corvino—Matteo’s first cousin and the manager of the family’s downtown casino operations.
“Matteo!” Enzo announced smoothly, walking in with his hands in his pockets. “The lieutenants are waiting in the boardroom. They want to know why we put the entire city on red alert over a black SUV.”
Enzo’s eyes flicked over to Nina, a condescending smirk touching his lips. He looked at the baby jumper, then back at Matteo.
“And they’re asking why the maid is sleeping in your bed,” Enzo added, a mocking bite in his tone. “Is this a midlife crisis, cousin? Or are you just lonely?”
In less than a second, Matteo was on his feet.
The movement was so fast Nina barely saw it. Matteo crossed the room, grabbed Enzo by his throat, and slammed him hard against the stone wall of the conservatory!
THUD!
Enzo’s breath exploded from his lungs, his eyes bulging in sudden, absolute terror as Matteo’s thick fingers clamped around his windpipe.
“Listen to me very carefully, Enzo,” Matteo hissed, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper that vibrated through the stone room. “Speak about Nina with disrespect again, and I will cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs in the yard. Do you understand me?”
Enzo nodded frantically, choking for air, his hands clutching weakly at Matteo’s iron wrist.
Matteo released him. Enzo slid down the wall, coughing violently, clutching his throat as he glared up at his cousin with hidden, burning hatred.
“Get out of my sight,” Matteo commanded, turning his back on his cousin as if he were nothing more than a stray dog. “Tell the lieutenants I will be in the boardroom when I am ready.”
Enzo scrambled to his feet, adjusting his jacket with trembling fingers. He cast one final, venomous look at Nina and little Maya before rushing out of the room, slamming the heavy doors behind him.
Nina stood up, her heart pounding. She had seen the look in Enzo’s eyes right before he left. It wasn't just fear.
It was pure, unadulterated malice.
“Matteo,” Nina whispered, stepping closer to him as he stood breathing heavily near the window. “It’s him, isn't it? Enzo is the leak.”
Matteo turned to look at her, his jaw set tightly. “Enzo has always been greedy. He thought if I died five years ago, the Corvino empire would fall into his hands. When I survived, he had to settle for crumbs.”
“Then why keep him close?” Nina asked, distressed. “He’s dangerous!”
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer,” Matteo quoted softly. He stepped over to Nina, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest. The contrast of his lethal power and his gentle embrace made Nina’s heart flutter violently. “I am moving you and Maya to the safehouse in the northern bluffs tonight. It’s an old fortress built into the cliffside. No one enters or leaves without my personal code.”
“Are you coming with us?” Nina asked, her fingers gripping his sweater, suddenly terrified at the thought of being separated from him.
May you like
Matteo looked down at her, his eyes filled with a dark, burning warmth. He reached up, tucking a strand of soft brown hair behind her ear.
“I am not leaving your side, Nina,” Matteo swore softly. “Where you go, I go. We settle this together.”
