The Marino Estate

Diana's POV

"Nanny!" Lucia’s sharp, toddler voice rang out across the distance. Before I could even react, she broke away from her security and came running straight toward me.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs as my eyes instinctively moved over her small head, locking right onto her uncle’s icy, unreadable gaze. Mr. Francesco Marino stood thirty feet away, like a towering shadow.

Lucia skidded to a halt and threw her arms around my legs. I crouched down to her level, a soft smile breaking across my face as I gently patted her hair.

She turned her head, her hazel eyes landing squarely on Sofia, who was standing beside me in a fitted designer blazer. Sofia offered a warm, polite wave, attempting her best "I'm friendly" smile.

Lucia didn't wave back. Instead, she scoffed loudly, scanning Sofia from her designer heels up to her manicured hair with zero shame.

"Your clothes are ugly," Lucia giggled, proudly flaunting her messy bun—the exact same hairstyle I had worn to my interview.

Sofia’s welcoming expression instantly turned into pure outrage. She stomped her heel against the floor. "Excuse you, little girl! This jacket costs more than your uncle's car!"

"Eww, no it doesn't!"

"What did you just say to me, you little terror?!"

"Ouch, did I touch a nerve?" Lucia smirked, crossing her tiny arms over her chest. "At this rate, you're going to have full wrinkles before you turn thirty!"

I slapped a hand over my mouth, desperate to hide the loud snort that nearly escaped. Lucia was an absolute menace, making it her personal life mission to verbally destroy every adult she encountered.

While the two of them engaged in a heated debate over total nonsense, I glanced past them. Francesco stood in the center of the shopping mall, flanked by his stoic bodyguard. Both men observed the chaotic interaction with completely unreadable expressions.

Sofia happened to sneak a quick glance at the hot guard. He caught her eye immediately, staring back with intense focus. Sofia’s face turned bright red, her cheeks flushing like ripe tomatoes as she turned her head away.

Three seconds later, she peeked again. He caught her again….

Oh no... Sofia has a crush on a mafia bodyguard.

"By the way, Lucia," I interrupted, nudging the little girl gently, "what are you even doing at the mall this early?"

She pointed a small finger toward three women in crisp black-and-white maid uniforms, each struggling under the weight of at least a dozen luxury shopping bags.

"I told Unkie I needed an entire new wardrobe, so I dragged him out," she said proudly. "We're already heading home."

I marveled at the terrifying power this five-year-old wielded over a man who controlled half the city's underworld.

"So..." Lucia hesitated, her sharp posture faltering just a bit as she stared down at her shiny shoes. "Are you still coming to the house today?"

"Of course I am," I reassured her warmly.

"Or are you going to disappear like all the others did?"

The sudden drop in her tone broke my heart. The defiance vanished, leaving behind a vulnerable little girl who had learned to expect everyone in her life to pack up and walk away.

Sofia and I exchanged a quiet, heavy look.

"I'm not going anywhere, kiddo," I promised, looking her dead in the eye. "You're stuck with me."

The spark returned to her eyes instantly. 

"What time will you get there?"

"See you in eight hours, girlie!"

Licia giggled loudly, hopping on her toes before turning to sprint back toward Francesco and his bodyguard.

Before he turned to leave, Mr. Marino's gaze lingered on me for a long, agonizing moment. I couldn't decipher the thoughts behind those arctic-blue eyes, and that made my spine shiver. 

Then, with a subtle tilt of his head, he turned, and his wall of black-suited guards fell into formation around him, melting seamlessly into the crowd.

The moment they vanished, Sofia grabbed my arm so hard her nails nearly dug through my sleeve.

"Girl! Did you see that hot bodyguard?!" she practically shrieked into my ear. "What is his name?! You have to find out his name! That is your official mission!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a weary sigh. "Sofia, you saw that man for literally three minutes."

"Three minutes is more than enough time to recognize a Greek god in a charcoal suit! Did you see that buzz cut, miss D?! Mio Dio!"

"He works for an organized crime syndicate!"

"So what?!" Sofia snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Can't an innocent girl just appreciate fine art?..."

By two in the afternoon, we were back at my family's small apartment. But as I stared at the piles of new clothes and leather bags resting on my bed, a heavy knot tightened in my stomach.

I was packing up my life. I was leaving Mama, Papa, and my baby brothers to live in a mansion owned by strangers.

When I walked down to the kitchen, Mama and Papa were sitting at the table. Vlad and Matei were lying on the rug, frantically unpacking the brand-new Lego sets and interactive learning pads Sofia and I had bought them.

"Mama, Papa..." I walked over, pulling a thick envelope packed with cash from my pocket and sliding it across the wood into Dad's rough hands. "This is for you."

Papa's eyes widened in disbelief as he unsealed the flap. Mama gasped, clutching her heart. "Diana... What is this?! Where did you get this much money?!"

"It's my advance paycheck from Mr. Marino," I explained softly, placing my hands over hers. "This will cover the electricity, the gas refill, three months of rent, and fresh groceries for the kitchen."

"No, fiica mea," Mama stammered, her eyes brimming with tears as she pushed it back. "We cannot take your money! This is too much—"

"Mama, stop," I interrupted, tapping her shoulder gently. "I promised you and Papa that I would take care of this family. I am just fulfilling my promise, one step at a time."

Papa didn't say a word. Tears traced down his cheeks as he pulled me into a tight, crushing hug. Mama let out a ragged sob and wrapped her arms around both of us…

An hour later, a shiny, matte-black luxury limousine pulled up along the curb outside our apartment building.

Vlad and Matei pressed their faces against the windowpane, gasping in awe. "Is that a spaceship?!" Vlad yelled.

The driver's door opened, and the hot bodyguard stepped out, looking formidable in his tailored suit. He walked up to retrieve my heavy leather luggage.

Sofia, who was standing beside me on the porch, instantly forgot how to breathe normally. He glanced up, his dark eyes sweeping over her. Sofia froze like a deer in headlights, staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes until I hard-elbowed her in the ribs.

"Behave yourself, woman," I muttered under my breath.

Mama burst into fresh tears, pulling me into one last tight embrace. Papa kissed the top of my head, stroking my hair the way he used to when I was a little girl. Vlad and Matei clung to my legs, whining softly.

"Are you coming back tomorrow, Miss D?" Vlad asked, looking up with big, innocent eyes.

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. "Of course, silly," I forced a bright, cheery smile, kneeling down to kiss their foreheads. "I'll be back before you even miss me."

I blew them one final kiss, turned on my heel, and stepped into the leather interior of the limousine….

Twenty minutes later, the heavy iron gates of the Marino estate swung open, and the car glided up the winding cobblestone driveway.

As we pulled up to the grand front steps, my breath caught in my throat. This wasn't just an arrival; it felt like a formal procession.

Standing on the broad marble porch was Madame Stella, surrounded by two neatly aligned rows of house staff in formal attire. Standing right in the center was Lucia, practically vibrating with excitement as her tiny shoes tapped against the stone.

And standing directly behind her, looking imposing, cold, and dangerously hot, was Mr. Marino.

The bodyguard opened my door. I stepped out onto the cobblestones, pulling my shoulders back and lifting my head high despite the nervous feeling in my chest.

Lucia’s face lit up, and she took two eager steps forward. Mr. Marino scanned me from head to toe, his deep blue eyes tracking every breath I took. The fragile confidence I had built up vanished into thin air under his heavy glare.

He stepped down the first marble stair, his hands resting casually in his suit pockets, as his deep baritone voice cut straight through the quiet evening air:

"So. You actually came back.”