Chapter 3

Aurea’s POV

The luxury car ride had felt like a agonizing countdown, and now, my time was officially up.

    I stood frozen in the grand foyer of the Rossi Estate, my fingers tightly gripping the worn-out canvas strap of my duffel bag until my knuckles turned white. Calling this place a mansion was an absolute understatement; everything here practically screamed obscene, untouchable wealth. 

 The ceilings stretched up so high they seemed to touch the sky, adorned with intricate, hand-painted frescoes and massive crystal chandeliers that cast fractured light across the floor. It wasn't just a house; it was a sprawling fortress of polished marble, gleaming gold leaf, and a heavy, suffocating opulence that made me feel utterly tiny.

"Don't look so terrified, dear. We don't bite unless we're told to," a warm, gentle voice chuckled beside me, breaking through the ringing in my ears.

I turned to see Mrs. Jade, the head maid. She was a sweet, older woman with kind, crinkling eyes and a neatly pressed uniform. She had greeted me at the door with a smile that instantly made the knot in my chest loosen, if only a fraction.

"Thank you, Mrs. Jade," I said, my voice sounding incredibly small, barely rising above a tentative whisper in the echoing space.

"Follow me, dear. Master Vincenzo is waiting for you in the study room," she said, gesturing with a hand toward the grand, sweeping staircase. "His twin, Master Velarius, doesn't bother with interviewing the household staff. He only views it as a complete waste of time, so you'll only be answering to one of them today."

I nodded silently, swallowing hard as a heavy wave of anxiety caused my chest to tighten with every single step I took up those  marble stairs. Vincenzo. I had seen his face and his brother’s face plastered across TV screens. I had heard terrifying whispers about them from the regular colleagues I used to work with at Vance's fashion store. A sharp, aristocratic jawline, eyes as cold and unforgiving as ice, and a ruthless reputation in the underworld that made even the most powerful billionaires bow their heads.

Mrs. Jade finally stopped in front of a pair of towering, dark oak double doors carved with intricate crests. She gave two soft, measured knocks, and almost instantly, a deep, smooth, dangerous voice cut through the heavy wood from the other side.

"Enter."

The mere sound of his voice made the blood in my veins run completely cold, and a bead of nervous sweat broke out across my skin. Mrs. Jade opened the door, giving me one last encouraging nod before turning away down the hall. I took a hesitant step inside, the heavy oak doors shutting quietly but firmly behind me with a click that sounded like a prison cell locking shut.

The room was absolutely massive, smelling heavily of expensive leather, old books, premium tobacco, and a faint hint of rich cigar smoke lingering in the air. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the sprawling grounds, but my attention was instantly locked onto the center of the room. Everything here screamed imminent danger, just like the imposing man sitting behind the sleek desk: Vincenzo Rossi.

He didn't even bother to look up when I walked in. His head was kept down, his sharp eyes focused entirely on a stack of legal paperwork in front of him, a heavy gold pen balanced perfectly between his fingers.

My pulse spiked violently. Every single survival instinct in my body screamed at me to turn back around, rip those doors open, and run as fast as my legs could carry me. But I couldn't. I desperately needed this job. More importantly, I needed a roof over my head. If I ran out of this estate now, I would be entirely helpless on the freezing streets of Italy by the end of the week.

Swallowing my mounting panic, I walked over with trembling legs and sat in the leather chair directly across from his desk, placing my shaking hands flat on my lap to hide the tremors.

For a long, agonizing moment, the only sound in the room was the rhythmic, mocking ticking of the expensive antique clock on the wall. He didn't look at me for the next several seconds, completely ignoring my existence. 

Then finally, without warning, he spoke. "Aurea."

The deep, low way my name rolled off his tongue made me freeze for a moment. Then slowly, he raised his head. His expression was entirely bored, his dark eyes hooded as if interviewing a new maid was a complete waste of his incredibly valuable time, and he couldn't wait for my existence to vanish from his sight.

But the exact second his dark, predatory eyes locked onto my face, the boredom vanished. Something deep and intense flashed across his dark eyes. It was blindingly quick, like a sharp spark of lightning striking a midnight sky.

As quickly as that look appeared, it vanished into a mask of pure iron, making me question if my mind had just imagined it. He smoothed his features out and began to conduct the interview. He asked about my previous experience and my daily availability, his tone smooth, structured, and completely detached, like he was talking down to a child. I forced myself to answer all his questions, without showing my fear.

"Everything seems to be in order," Vincenzo said calmly, abruptly closing the folder on his desk with a definitive snap.

I let out a tiny, hyperventilating breath, genuinely thinking the torture was finally over.

But then, he stood up.

His broad-shouldered frame cast a shadow over me. He walked slowly around the desk, his movements fluid, unhurried, and entirely dominant—like a seasoned hunter who had successfully cornered his prey. He stopped right beside my chair, towering over me, his rich, intoxicating dark scent filling my nose and making my brain go hazy.

I looked up, utterly stilled, commanding terror radiating from his posture.

He let go of my face, leaving the skin tingling where his fingers had just been, and walked out of the double doors with a dark, mocking smirk on his face.

As the heavy door shut loudly behind him, a chill crawled straight down my spine. I sat alone in the massive room, my chest heaving as I clutched my burning cheek. I had a sickening, sinking feeling that accepting this job was officially the biggest mistake of my life.