Chapter 1
My three-year-old daughter wandered into the forbidden study of Vincent Castalano, the most feared man I had ever worked for, looked straight at his terrifying expression, and mocked it perfectly to his face. I was certain I was about to lose my job, until Vincent did something so unexpected that every hardened man in that room struggled not to laugh.
The coffee cup was trembling in my hand when Mia’s tiny voice floated through the open study door.
“You look mad.”
My blood went cold.
There were two rules every employee in the Castalano estate understood without needing them repeated: never enter Mr. Castalano’s study unless summoned, and never bring a child to work.
That morning, I had broken both.
My babysitter had called at 5:54 a.m., sick with a stomach virus. My sister was working a nursing shift, emergency daycare wanted seventy dollars I didn’t have, and missing work meant risking rent money.
So I dressed Mia in her yellow sundress, packed crayons and crackers, and prayed Vincent would spend the day in Manhattan.
He came home at 8:40.
By nine, Mia had disappeared from the laundry room.
Now she was standing in front of him.
Vincent towered behind his massive oak desk in a charcoal suit, while Renzo Moretti and two security guards watched in absolute silence. His eyebrows lowered, his mouth tightened, and his head tilted slightly.
I knew that look.
Men twice my size feared that look.
Mia studied him carefully.
Then she lowered her eyebrows.
Flattened her lips.
Folded her tiny arms.
And tilted her chin exactly like Vincent.
My heart nearly stopped.
Renzo’s eyes widened. One guard stared at the ceiling like he wanted no part in whatever disaster was coming.
Vincent stared at Mia.
Mia stared right back.
Five unbearable seconds passed.
Then Vincent raised one eyebrow.
Mia raised hers.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Hers twitched too.
Renzo suddenly made a choking sound.
Vincent snapped his eyes toward him.
Renzo immediately buried his face in his tablet.
“You do that face a lot,” Mia announced.
“Mia!”
Everyone turned toward me.
She beamed. “Hi, Mommy.”
Heat rushed into my face. “Mr. Castalano, I’m so sorry. My sitter canceled, and I had nobody else. She was supposed to stay in the laundry room. I only looked away for a minute and…”
Vincent raised one finger.
I instantly stopped talking.
My anger at myself burned beneath the fear, but I swallowed every word. I needed this job.
Vincent slowly walked around his desk.
Then the most intimidating man I had ever met crouched in front of my daughter until they were eye to eye.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Mia stared innocently into his face.
May you like
Vincent stared back.
And then he quietly opened his mouth to speak.
