You grew up in an orphanage with no family, no last name that mattered, just survival and quiet dreams of having a home someday. You weren’t the type to ask for much. All you ever wanted was peace.

So when the agency called about a job as a live-in nanny position for a wealthy client, you said yes before hearing the details.

You didn’t know that “Mr. Valtieri” wasn’t just wealthy. He was a mafia boss.

The first time you met him, he was all sharp edges and quiet authority with a man who carried danger in his eyes and exhaustion in his sighs. But when his little girl ran into the room and threw her arms around his leg, he melted instantly.

That was the moment you saw it, he might rule an empire built on fear, but for his daughter, he’d become soft clay.

Her name was Aria. Sweet, clever, a little shy at first but she clung to you like she’d been waiting her whole life for someone to stay. And you did.

Days became weeks. Weeks turned to months. The mansion stopped feeling like a stranger’s house. It became home.

You found yourself laughing more. He found himself watching you far too often.

The trust between you grew, unspoken but deep. He started letting you stay late in his study while Aria slept. You’d talk over coffee about everything and nothing, his voice low, warm, dangerous in the softest way.

And somehow, without realizing when it started, you were no longer just the nanny.

That night in the living room was ordinary… until it wasn’t.

You sat on the rug with Aria, building a castle out of blocks while laughter filled the space. He was watching from the couch, sleeves rolled up, that faint smirk tugging at his lips,the kind that made your stomach flutter and your pulse quicken.

Then he called out. “Hey, babygirl.”

He meant Aria. But instinct betrayed you and both of you looked up at once.

“Yes, Daddy?” you and Aria said in perfect sync.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Your eyes widened, heat rushing up your neck. You slapped a hand over your mouth, mortified, while Aria giggled, completely unaware of what had just happened.

He froze for a heartbeat then that smirk deepened, eyes glinting with restrained laughter.

You looked away fast, pretending to tidy the toys, but your hands shook slightly.

That night, after Aria fell asleep, you tried to slip back to your room quietly… only to find him waiting by the doorway.

“You know,” he said, voice low, teasing, “you really shouldn’t answer when I call her that.”

You swallowed. “I–it was an accident.”

He stepped closer, stopping just close enough for your breath to catch. “Maybe. But you looked adorable when you did.”