CHAPTER 3

After making sure the other maids in the quarters were already asleep, Sienna slowly got out of bed. She walked to the old mirror on the wall, with the moonlight from the window serving as the only light in the room.

She took off her thick glasses—they had no prescription and were just something she had bought from a street stall to change her appearance. She also untied her hair and let it fall over her shoulders before looking at herself in the mirror.

She was safe. She knew that looking like this, Don Xavier De Luca would never recognize her.

Sienna took a step back as memories of the past came rushing back. On the night the transaction happened three years ago, the entire arrangement had been kept highly confidential. There wasn't a single light in the room where the agency had taken her, and Xavier had been wearing a black mask to hide his face. When she gave birth at the hospital, the name written on the De Luca family's documents wasn't "Sienna Cruz," but "Surrogate Subject No. 042."

To a powerful and heartless Don, she had been nothing more than a woman paid to do a job—someone whose value ended the moment the baby was delivered. The only information that reached the Mafia's men during the background check was the fake identity of "Elena Montes"—the profile of an orphan from a distant province that she had bought on the black market using the last of her money.

Sienna put her glasses back on and tied up her hair again. She looked at the old clock. It was eleven o'clock at night. This was the time when the guards on the second floor finished their last shift before moving outside.

Sienna quietly opened the door to her room. Holding a glass of warm milk, she walked up the grand staircase, pretending she was only finishing an assigned task in case she ran into a guard or one of the mansion staff.

When she reached Lucas's bedroom, she slowly turned the doorknob. The child's room was huge and filled with expensive toys. In the middle of the bed, she saw Lucas sitting while hugging a pillow and quietly crying. One hand was holding his stomach.

"Lucas..." Sienna whispered as she quickly walked over to the bed.

When the little boy saw the maid who had helped him that morning, he immediately relaxed.

"M-My tummy hurts," the child cried softly as he held his stomach.

Sienna's heart ached at the sight. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed the glass of milk down.

"Hush... don't cry anymore, Lucas. I'm here. I'll help you," she whispered gently.

Sienna placed her warm hand on the child's stomach and slowly massaged it in gentle circles—a simple method she often used on herself.

She also helped him drink a little warm milk. Within a few minutes, because of her gentle touch and the warmth of the milk, the child's crying gradually stopped. Lucas's tiny hands held onto the hem of Sienna's uniform before he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Sienna quietly looked at her son's face. His sharp nose and long eyelashes came from his father, but the shape of his lips was hers. She couldn't stop herself. She leaned down and gently kissed the little boy's forehead.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

A familiar, cold voice suddenly came from the dark corner of the room.

Startled, Sienna quickly stood up. Beside the large window stood Don Xavier. He was leaning against the wall with a glass of whiskey in his hand, watching her with a serious expression. He had been there all along, silently observing everything she had done.

"D-Don Xavier..." Sienna stammered as she quickly lowered her head. "I'm sorry, sir. I heard Lucas crying while I was walking through the hallway to return the kitchen supplies. So... so I came in to check on him."

Xavier took a step forward, allowing the moonlight to fully reveal his face. He set the glass of whiskey on the table before walking toward Sienna, and she could feel the weight of his presence.

"Lucas's personal nanny has a medical certificate, yet she couldn't calm him down that quickly," Xavier said seriously as he stopped in front of her. He looked at the glass of milk and then at Lucas, who was now sleeping peacefully. "How does a simple maid from the province know the right way to calm my son?"

"M-My mother is a traditional healer back in our province, sir," Sienna quickly lied, trying to keep her voice from shaking even though she was already weak with fear. "I often saw my mother do that for children with stomach pain."

Xavier stared at her for a long moment. He stepped even closer until Sienna could feel his breath against her forehead. He slowly raised his hand and gently held Sienna's chin—the same spot where her skin had turned red from his grip that morning.

Sienna's back pressed against the side of Lucas's bed.

"You're too bold for a maid, Elena," Xavier whispered softly, but every word carried a warning. "You entered my son's room without my permission at this hour of the night. In my world, I don't let people like you get away with interfering."

"P-Please forgive me, Don Xavier... It won't happen again," Sienna pleaded as she kept her eyes on the floor, afraid the Don might notice how fast her heart was beating.

Xavier slowly lowered his hand from her chin, but before turning away, he left her with words that made Sienna even more uneasy.

"This is your last warning, Elena. But because you managed to calm my son tonight... starting tomorrow, you'll be assigned as Lucas's personal assistant. That means you'll be with him every hour of the day."

He looked at her for a moment before a faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"And that also means... it'll be easier for me to keep an eye on you."