The Don’s Mysterious Nanny
**She thought she knew the man she loved. She was wrong about everything.**
Vanessa Rodriguez's perfect life shatters in a single morning when she overhears her boyfriend Marcus discussing "loose ends" and how to "handle" her. The sweet daycare teacher who thought she was dating a banker suddenly finds herself running from a man she no longer recognizes—and straight into the arms of the most dangerous man in the city.
**Alexander De Luca doesn't trust anyone. He can't afford to.**
The ruthless mafia don has built an empire on fear and blood, but his six-month-old daughter Aria is his only weakness. When his longtime housekeeper can no longer care for the baby, Alexander needs a nanny he can trust. What he gets is a woman with secrets as dark as his own.
**Some lies are worth dying for. Others are worth killing for.**
When Marcus is gunned down in what appears to be a random mob hit, Vanessa has nowhere to turn except the penthouse of the man who just hired her. But as she settles into life caring for Aria, Alexander begins to suspect his new nanny isn't the innocent woman she appears to be.
**In a world where trust is a luxury and love is a weapon, Vanessa and Alexander must decide what they're willing to sacrifice for the truth.**
*Because some secrets are too dangerous to keep... and too deadly to tell.*
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*A dark mafia romance filled with betrayal, passion, and the kind of love that's worth going to war for.*
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Chapter: Chapter 6: Vanessa We went to the nursery, and my heart melted the moment I saw her. Six months old with dark curls and the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen. She was fussing in her crib, tiny fists waving in frustration."May I?" I asked.Alessandro nodded, and I lifted her carefully. She settled against me almost immediately, her crying fading to soft hiccups."She likes you," he said, and there was something vulnerable in his voice. Something that made my chest tighten."She's beautiful." I looked down at the baby in my arms, then back at her father. "Her mother?""Died in childbirth." The words were flat, emotionless, but I caught the flash of pain in his eyes."I'm so sorry.""The position would be live-in," he said, changing the subject abruptly. "Your suite, full benefits, and a salary that I think you'll find generous."He named a figure that made my eyes widen. It was three times what I made at the daycare."That's... very generous.""Aria deserves the best care. If you're willing to provide tha
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 5: Vanessa"You did what?"My voice cracked as I stared at Marcus across our small kitchen table, my phone still clutched in my trembling hand. The voicemail I'd just listened to played on repeat in my head: *"Miss Rodriguez, this is Catherine from De Luca Industries. We're pleased to inform you that your interview for the nanny position has been scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM."*Marcus didn't look up from his coffee. "I applied for a job for you. A better job.""You applied for a job for me?" I stood so fast that my chair scraped against the floor. "Without asking me? Without even telling me?""Vanessa—""And not just any job—a nanny position? Marcus, I love working at the daycare. Those children need me, and I need them. You can't just—""You handed in your resignation this morning."The words hit me like a physical slap. "I did what?""I called in sick for you and submitted your two weeks' notice. Effective immediately." His voice was calm, matter-of-fact, like he was discussing the weather i
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 4: Alessandro The crying hit me the moment I walked through the front door of my penthouse.Not just fussing or whimpering—full-blown, heart-wrenching sobs that made my chest tighten with familiar panic. Aria had been crying more and more lately, especially in the evenings, and nothing Mrs. Ciro or I did seemed to help."Where is she?" I called out, dropping my blood-stained jacket on the marble foyer table."Nursery, sir." Mrs. Ciro appeared at the top of the stairs, looking frazzled. Her gray hair had escaped its usual neat bun, and there were dark circles under her eyes. "She won't eat. Won't sleep. I've tried everything."I took the stairs three at a time, my heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with physical exertion. In the six months since Isabella's death, this was the part of parenthood that terrified me most—the complete helplessness when my daughter was in distress.The nursery was a masterpiece of soft pastels and expensive furniture. Isabella had spent months designing it, ch
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 3: Alessandro The bullet tore through Giovanni's shoulder, spraying blood across my mahogany desk like abstract art.I didn't flinch."You stole from me, Giovanni." My voice was calm, conversational, as I leaned back in my leather chair. "Three hundred thousand dollars from the shipment last month."He writhed on the floor of my office, clutching his shoulder, his expensive suit ruined. Blood seeped between his fingers as he gasped for air."Boss, I swear I didn't ""Don't." I held up a hand, and he fell silent. Even bleeding and desperate, he knew better than to lie to me twice. "I have security footage. Bank records. Your gambling debts."The fear in his eyes was satisfying in a way that most people would find disturbing. But I wasn't like most people. I was Alessandro De Luca, and in my world, fear was currency."Please," he whispered. "I have a family.""So did Marco Santini. Remember him? The man whose shipment you sold to cover your debts?" I stood, straightening my cufflinks. "His wife is ra
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 2: Vanessa I ended up at Riverside Park, sitting on the same bench where Marcus had first told me he loved me six months ago. The irony wasn't lost on me.My hands wouldn't stop shaking.Around me, life continued as normal. Joggers passed by with their earbuds in, lost in their worlds. A mother pushed her toddler on the swings while he shrieked with delight. Normal people living normal lives, completely unaware that my entire world had just crumbled like a house of cards.I tried to piece together the conversation I'd overheard, but it felt like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. Who was the gray-haired man? What kind of business did they have together that involved "handling things quietly" and "loose ends"?And what had I supposedly seen that made me dangerous?My phone buzzed again. Another text from Marcus: *Please, baby. Just come home so we can talk.*Then another: *I'm worried about you.*And finally: *You're scaring me, Vanessa.*I was scaring him? The laugh that esca
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 1: VanessaThe sound of shattering glass cut through the morning air like a blade through silk. I froze in the middle of the daycare's main room, my hand still wrapped around little Emma's tiny fingers as she looked up at me with those wide, trusting brown eyes. The crash had come from the kitchen, followed by Marcus's voice low, dangerous, and speaking in words I couldn't make out from here. "Miss Vanessa?" Emma tugged on my sleeve, her bottom lip trembling. "What was that scary noise?" My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced my voice to stay steady. Sweet. The way it always was with the children. "Just someone being clumsy in the kitchen, sweetheart. Why don't you go play with the blocks while I check on things?" She nodded and skipped away, her pigtails bouncing. Innocent. Untouched by the darkness that seemed to follow me wherever I went these days. I made my way toward the kitchen on unsteady legs, my sensible flats silent against the polished floor. Through the crack in the do
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Divorcing my dead sister’s husband
After marrying her deceased sister's husband for years, Daniela eventually finds the strength to ask her domineering husband Alex for a divorce. Shortly after moving out, she finds out she is pregnant and goes back to get her things in the hopes of having a polite conversation. Instead, she loses the baby when Alex, in a fit of rage, shoves her down the stairs .Daniela promises that Alex will pay for his actions. She takes matters into her own hands after the police investigation is halted because of his connections, painstakingly compiling proof of his financial crimes and violent acts against her five-year-old nephew.While reconstructing her life at a new marketing , Daniela meets Thomas, a generous creative director who sees through her well-built barriers. Because of his personal experience with loss, Thomas has the patience to earn her trust even if she is still determined to keep him accountable. After Sam secretly approaches Daniela and reveals the extent of Alex's abuse, Daniela's objective shifts from pursuing personal vengeance to protecting the child she still loves despite Alex rejecting her. Daniela and Thomas are forced to engage in a high-stakes legal battle for Sam's custody and their future together as Alex's danger increases as the net closes around him.If Daniela can get over her fears and fall in love again, she will have the opportunity to start the family she has always desired with her newfound strength and Thomas's unwavering support.
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Chapter: Chapter 62The lake house looked the same as it had ten years ago, except for the Phoenix Foundation banner stretched between two trees and the dozen cars parked in the gravel driveway."I can't believe it's been ten years," I said to Thomas as we carried bags in from the car."Feels like yesterday and forever at the same time," he said.Maya, now thirteen and all legs and attitude, rolled her eyes. "You two are so dramatic.""We're nostalgic," Thomas corrected. "There's a difference.""Is there, though?"Sam appeared from the kitchen, now eighteen and taller than Thomas. "Mom, Janet wants to know where you want the cake.""What cake?""The anniversary cake she ordered. Didn't you know about the cake?""I specifically said no cake.""You know Janet doesn't listen when you say things like that.""Where is Janet?""Terrorizing the caterers."I found Janet in the kitchen directing a team of servers with military precision."Janet, I said no fuss.""This isn't a fuss. This is a celebration.""It's s
Last Updated: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 61"I still don't understand why we need professional photos," I said, adjusting Maya's dress for the third time. "We have plenty of pictures.""We have plenty of snapshots," Thomas corrected, straightening Sam's tie. "We don't have a real family portrait.""What's the difference?""The difference is that someday Maya will want a picture of her family when she was little. Not a blurry phone photo, but something she can frame and put on her mantle.""I'm not little," Maya protested. "I'm three and three-quarters.""You're right," Thomas said seriously. "You're practically grown up.""Very grown up," she agreed.Sam rolled his eyes but smiled. "You're still little enough that I can carry you.""I can walk by myself.""I know you can. But what if you get tired?""Then I'll ask for a piggyback ride.""Deal."The photography studio was fancier than I'd expected. Soft lighting, multiple backdrop options, and a photographer who looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine herself."You must be t
Last Updated: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 60The letter arrived on a Tuesday. I recognized the return address from the prison immediately, my stomach dropping as I held the envelope. "What is it?" Thomas asked, looking up from his coffee. "Prison mail." "About what?" I tore open the envelope with shaking hands. The letterhead was official, the language formal and cold. "Alex is dead." Thomas set down his coffee cup. "What?" "He died three days ago. Heart attack in his cell." Sam appeared in the kitchen doorway, still in his pajamas. "Who died?" I looked at Thomas, then back at Sam. "Your father." Sam's face went completely blank. "My father?" "Alex. He had a heart attack in prison." "Oh." Sam sat down heavily at the kitchen table. "How do you feel about that?" The question caught me off guard. "I don't know yet. How do you feel?" "I don't know either." Thomas moved to stand behind Sam's chair. "There's no right way to feel about this." "I know I should feel something," Sam said. "But I just feel... empty." "Empt
Last Updated: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 59"The paperwork is finally approved," Janet said, sliding the folder across the conference table. "You're officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization."I picked up the documents, running my fingers over the embossed seal. "The Phoenix Foundation for Families in Crisis. It's real.""It's been real since the day you decided to help Lisa," Thomas said. "This just makes it official.""Twenty-three families in six months," Janet continued. "That's incredible for a startup foundation.""It doesn't feel like enough," I said."It never will," Thomas replied. "But it's twenty-three families who are safe now. Twenty-three families who might not have made it out without help."Maya wandered into the conference room, having escaped from Sam's supervision in the lobby."Mama working?" she asked, climbing onto my lap."Mama's working on something very important," I said."Important like awards?""More important than awards.""More important than ice cream?""Almost as important as ice cream."She
Last Updated: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 58"We need to talk," Thomas said, walking into the kitchen with his phone in his hand and a strange expression on his face.I looked up from where I was helping Maya with her morning enzymes. "About what?""We won.""Won what?""The Morrison Agency Award for Creative Excellence."I stared at him. "We what?""We won. They called an hour ago.""That's not possible. We only submitted our portfolio because Janet insisted.""Our work on the Henderson campaign caught their attention. And the community outreach project for the children's hospital.""Those were last-minute projects.""Those were good projects."Maya looked back and forth between us. "Mama? Dada? Happy?""Yes, baby girl," I said, still processing. "We're happy.""Very happy," Thomas added."The ceremony is next Friday night," Thomas continued. "Black tie event at the Grand Hotel downtown.""Next Friday? That's Maya's chest percussion therapy night.""We can do her therapy earlier. Or ask my mom to help.""I don't know if we shou
Last Updated: 2025-06-17
Chapter: Chapter 57"Maya's test results are remarkable," Dr. James said, spreading the papers across her desk. "I've been treating CF patients for fifteen years, and I rarely see numbers this good."I felt Thomas's hand find mine. We'd been preparing for bad news, as had become our habit before every appointment. Good news felt foreign."What exactly are you seeing?" Thomas asked."Her lung function is at ninety-two percent. For a two-year-old with CF, that's exceptional. Her weight is perfect, her growth curve is textbook, and her last sputum culture came back completely clear.""Clear?" I repeated."No bacterial growth. No signs of infection. Her lungs are as healthy as any child her age."Maya chose that moment to escape from Thomas's lap and toddle over to the toy chest, chattering to herself about finding the "purple elephant.""Purple phant!" she announced, holding up a stuffed animal. "Mine!""That's right, Maya. That's the purple elephant," Dr. James said, smiling. "She's certainly vocal.""She
Last Updated: 2025-06-16
Luna To Alpha Ace
When Love Becomes a Prison
After twenty failed IVF treatments and four years of heartbreak, Lily Collins finally has everything she's ever wanted: she's pregnant with the miracle baby she and her husband James fought so hard for. But the man she married is becoming someone she doesn't recognize—controlling, secretive, and increasingly dangerous.
When James strikes her for the first time, Lily tells herself it's the stress. When he isolates her from friends and monitors her every move, she convinces herself it's concern for the baby. But when she discovers he's been lying about their fertility treatments, she realizes the father of her unborn child might be hiding something far more sinister than she ever imagined.
**Meanwhile, across the city...**
Alpha werewolf Ace Winters has spent years searching for his destined mate. When the bond finally calls to him, leading him to a pregnant woman living in fear, his protective instincts roar to life. But his mate is human, fragile, and already running from one dangerous man.
One wrong move could send her fleeing forever. One right move could save her life.
Two men. One woman. A baby caught in between.
As Lily fights to uncover the truth about her husband's deceptions, she has no idea that her salvation might come from the mysterious stranger watching over her or that accepting his protection will thrust her into a world where fairy tales are real. Love can be written in the stars.
But first, she has to survive long enough to discover that monsters don't always look like monsters...
*And heroes don't always look entirely human.*
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Chapter: Chapter 11: Lily Three weeks later, I'm standing in the empty shell of what used to be my life. The moving truck left this morning, taking all our furniture to Denver. Our house sold faster than anyone expected—James said we got lucky with a cash buyer who wanted to close quickly. Now I'm doing a final walk-through of rooms that no longer feel like home. I'm thirteen weeks pregnant now, just barely showing, and the morning sickness has finally started to ease. I should be excited about the move, about starting fresh in a new city. Instead, I feel like I'm walking to my execution. Zoe's PI friend found some disturbing information about those Chicago payments, but not enough to build a case. The money trail leads to a shell company that doesn't seem to exist, registered to an address that turns out to be a vacant lot. Whatever James was paying for, he went to great lengths to hide it. "You ready, beautiful?" James appears in the doorway of our empty bedroom, car keys in hand. He's been calling m
Last Updated: 2025-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 10: Lily Zoe's law office is downtown, in one of those old brick buildings that make you feel like you're stepping back in time. I've always loved coming here, loved the way the afternoon light filters through the tall windows and makes everything feel safe and civilized. Today, though, I can barely sit still in the leather chair across from her desk. "Lily, you look exhausted. How's the morning sickness?" "That's not why I'm here," I say without preamble. "I need your help. Something's wrong with James." Zoe leans forward, instantly alert. She's been my best friend since college, and she knows me well enough to recognize when I'm serious. "Besides what we already know?" "It's more than that," I tell her. "I found financial records showing massive payments to a fertility clinic in Chicago. A clinic that claims they've never heard of James." Zoe's eyebrows shoot up. "How much money are we talking about?" "Fifty thousand dollars. Plus smaller payments over the past year." "Jesus
Last Updated: 2025-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 9: Lily I can't sleep. It's 2 AM, and I'm lying in bed listening to James breathe beside me, my mind spinning with questions I'm afraid to ask. The documents I found keep flashing through my memory like a slideshow of secrets. Fifty thousand dollars. New Life Fertility Clinic. Chicago. What was he buying? At 10 weeks pregnant, insomnia is supposed to be normal. The books say it's hormones, anxiety about becoming a mother, and the body's way of preparing for all those sleepless nights ahead. But this isn't pregnancy insomnia. This is the kind of sleeplessness that comes from living with secrets. I slip out of bed as quietly as possible and pad to the kitchen for some water. The baby is still too small for me to feel movement, but I find myself rubbing my barely-there bump anyway, a gesture that's becoming automatic. "It's okay, sweetheart," I whisper. "Mommy's just thinking." But it's not okay. Nothing about this is OK. I'm standing at the sink, staring at our dark backyard, whe
Last Updated: 2025-06-26
Chapter: Chapter 8: Lily The sensation started weeks ago in the morning while I was making breakfast. A prickle at the back of my neck, like invisible eyes burning into my skin. I turn around, expecting to see James watching me from the doorway, but the kitchen is empty. Just my imagination. Has to be. At 10 weeks pregnant, everything feels different. My body is changing in ways I never expected, and maybe my mind is too. The pregnancy books all talk about heightened senses and increased anxiety. Maybe that's all this is. But the feeling follows me throughout the day. When I'm folding laundry in the bedroom, I catch myself glancing toward the window. When I'm reading in the living room, I keep looking over my shoulder. Even when I take a shower, I find myself peeking around the curtain, water dripping into my eyes. "You're being paranoid," I whisper to my reflection in the bathroom mirror. "First trimester nerves." But deep down, I know it's more than that. Living with James has taught me
Last Updated: 2025-06-26
Chapter: Chapter 7: Ace The restless energy had been building for weeks now, clawing at Ace's insides like a caged wolf desperate for freedom. He stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office, watching the city sprawl beneath him as dusk painted the sky in shades of amber and crimson. His reflection stared back dark hair slightly disheveled from running his hands through it, sharp jawline tight with tension, and eyes that glowed with an inner fire that had nothing to do with the setting sun. *She's close.* The thought had been a constant whisper in his mind for the past month, growing stronger with each passing day. His wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, whining and pushing against the careful control Ace had spent thirty-two years perfecting. After decades of searching, of disappointment, of wondering if the Moon Goddess had forgotten to create his other half, the pull was finally here. "Alpha?" Marcus, his Beta, stepped into the office without knocking—a privilege ea
Last Updated: 2025-06-13
Chapter: Chapter 6: Lily My stomach dropped. "Oh?" He nodded, sipping his coffee. "Poor girl looked exhausted. Said Zoe's been sleeping at the office." Was he lying? Had he somehow seen our text exchange? Or was it just a coincidence? "Actually," I said carefully, "Zoe texted last night. We're having lunch today." James's mug paused halfway to his lips. "Is that so?" "She's picking me up at noon." I took a bite of my sandwich, forcing myself to chew and swallow despite my churning stomach. "That's odd," he said, setting his mug down with deliberate precision. "Given what her assistant told me." "Maybe she managed to clear some time," I suggested, keeping my voice light. "You know Zoe always makes time for friends no matter how busy she is." James studied me for a long moment. "What are you two planning to talk about?" The question hung in the air between us. Something in his tone made my skin prickle. "Just catching up," I said with a shrug, hop
Last Updated: 2025-06-13
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