CHAPTER 2

Sienna quickly pulled her hands away and immediately lowered her head. She kept her eyes on the carpet, trying to hide how badly her body was trembling. She was still afraid of Xavier's presence, and her fear was so overwhelming that she could barely move.

"D-Don Xavier... I'm sorry, sir. The child fell, so I only helped him," Sienna said with a trembling voice. She deliberately made her voice sound hoarser so he wouldn't recognize or remember her from the hospital three years ago.

Xavier didn't answer, and his silence was far more frightening than an angry shout. He walked toward them, and every step made Sienna even more nervous. Xavier stopped right in front of the kneeling woman.

"Who are you?" Xavier asked coldly. His voice was sharp and full of suspicion. "I've never seen you here before."

"My name is Elena, sir. I'm one of the new maids who was hired just last week," Sienna lied while keeping her eyes on the floor. She gripped the hem of her gray uniform to stop her fingers from trembling. The name Elena Montes was written on the fake ID and documents she had paid a large amount of money for just to get through the background check of De Luca's men.

Xavier looked at Lucas first. The little boy was already standing and holding the edge of his coat, looking confused about why the new maid seemed so frightened.

"Go back to your room, Lucas. Your nanny will be there soon," the Don told his son. His voice was still serious, but there was a hint of gentleness that only appeared when he spoke to the child.

"Yes, Dada," Lucas answered softly before quickly running toward the other end of the hallway.

Once the little boy was gone, Sienna became even more nervous. There was no one else in the hallway except the two of them.

"Stand up," Xavier ordered.

Sienna slowly stood up but kept her head lowered. She didn't want the Don to see her face up close. But she never expected what he did next. Xavier stepped even closer—so close that Sienna could smell his expensive cologne.

A large, rough, warm hand suddenly grabbed her chin. Xavier forcefully lifted Sienna's face until she was looking directly at him.

Sienna became even more nervous as she stared into Don Xavier's serious, expressionless eyes. His face was perfect, but it looked so cold. She also noticed a small fresh cut beside his eyebrow—a reminder that the man holding her now was a dangerous person who lived in a world of violence and bloodshed.

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly as he carefully studied the woman standing before him. There was something familiar about her eyes, but he couldn't remember where he had seen them before.

"Elena..." he repeated her fake name. "There are rules in this mansion, Elena. And the first rule is that you are never to touch my son without my permission."

"I-I understand, Don Xavier," Sienna replied almost in a whisper, feeling the firm grip of his hand on her chin.

"The maids in this mansion are here to do their jobs, not to interfere with my son," Xavier continued, lowering his voice even more as if it were a warning spoken near her ear. "Lucas is the only heir of the De Luca family. There are many people who want to harm him, and they can use anyone to get inside this mansion. So don't think I'll appreciate your kindness. I'll be watching your every move."

Xavier let go of her chin and gave her a slight push. Sienna stumbled back a step and almost lost her balance. She quickly grabbed the wall to keep herself from falling.

"Go back downstairs. And I don't want to see you wandering around this floor unless it's your scheduled time to clean," the Don said coldly before turning around and walking away without looking back.

After the Don left, Sienna leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. She was breathing heavily as she held her chin, which was still red from Xavier's tight grip. Her heart was beating so fast—not only because of fear, but because of the overwhelming emotions she felt after finally seeing her son again after three long years of longing.

That night, in the servants' quarters in the basement of the mansion, Sienna couldn't sleep. She knew it was dangerous to stay there and that she should leave while she still had the chance. But every time she thought about Lucas and remembered the look on his face after he fell, she knew she couldn't leave her son behind.

She got up from her small bed and walked to the window overlooking the wide estate. She saw Xavier's armed men patrolling the grounds with large rifles in their hands. This was the world her son was growing up in—a world filled with danger.

"I'll endure this, Lucas," Sienna whispered as she wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek. "Even if your father only sees me as a maid, I'll never leave you again."

Sienna didn't know that upstairs, inside the Don's large and dimly lit office, Xavier was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a glass of whiskey in his hand. In his other hand was the background profile of the new maid, "Elena Montes."

There was something about that woman that made him suspicious. Her eyes... her eyes held a deep sadness and a familiar longing that he never expected to see in an ordinary maid.

Xavier set his glass down and smirked in the darkness.

"Who are you really, Elena?" he whispered.