Semua Bab The Mafia's Nanny : Bab 151 - Bab 160

152Gianna’s POVI hadn’t slept well in days. Matteo was like a storm cloud that followed me everywhere—quiet but impossible to ignore. Every glance, every small interaction left me tangled in a web of conflicting emotions that I really wasn’t ready to face yet.And now, sitting across from him in yet another cramped conference room, I couldn’t concentrate to save my life.“Gianna?” His voice cut through my thoughts.My head snapped up. “What?”He tilted his head, looking far too amused for my liking. “I asked if you’d prefer to handle the presentation, or should I take the lead?”“Oh.” I forced myself to focus, ignoring the slight flush creeping up my neck. “You should do it. You’re better at improvising.”He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You think I’m good at something? That’s a first.”“Don’t let it go to your head,” I muttered, keeping my eyes glued to the papers in front of me.But I could feel his gaze on me still like he knew my thoughts and understood them w

154Gianna’s POVThe final night of the trip arrived faster than I anticipated. It had been a whirlwind of back-to-back meetings, client dinners, and endless negotiations, leaving little time for myself. But as I sat in my hotel room, staring at my half-packed suitcase, I felt a twinge of something I couldn’t quite name. Relief? Sadness?Maybe both.A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. I frowned, glancing at the clock. It was late—too late for a work-related interruption.“Who is it?” I called out.“It’s Matteo,” came the reply.Of course, it was.I hesitated for a moment before standing and opening the door. He leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, his tie slightly loosened but still annoyingly put together.“What do you need?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.His lips twitched in what might have been a smirk. “Relax, Gianna. I’m not here to bother you with work. I wanted to check if you were free for a moment.”“I was about to—” I gestured vaguely at

156Gianna’s POVDinner with the closest board members wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but declining Matteo’s invitation felt like more trouble than it was worth. He’d caught me on my way out of the office, his tone casual but leaving little room for argument.“Team dinner tomorrow night,” he’d said, leaning against my desk like he had all the time in the world. “We’re celebrating the end of the project. You’ll be there.”I should have said no, made up an excuse about prior plans, but instead, I nodded, my mouth betraying me.Now, sitting at a long table in a cozy Italian restaurant with the board members, I questioned that decision.The chatter around me was loud and cheerful, a mix of work gossip and lighthearted banter. Matteo sat at the head of the table, his sleeves rolled up and a glass of red wine in hand. He looked completely at ease, laughing at something one of the junior analysts said. I tried to ignore the way my eyes kept drifting toward him, the way my chest tight

158Gianna’s POVThe office felt… empty.Not in the literal sense—every cubicle was occupied, the hum of conversations and clicking keyboards filling the air—but something was missing. I couldn’t pinpoint it at first, brushing off the nagging sensation as a bad case of the Monday blues.By the time lunch rolled around, though, it hit me. Matteo.He hadn’t stopped by my office all morning. No casual comments, no sly smiles, no unsolicited but strangely helpful interventions. Nothing.And for reasons I didn’t care to examine, I noticed.I shouldn’t have, honestly. The man had been a thorn in my side for weeks, with his relentless determination to worm his way past my defenses. I couldn’t fire him as much as I’d thought about the idea countless times. Alaric brought him in. God knew how dangerous Matteo himself was even with his charming exterior. I should’ve been relieved to have some space, to be able to focus without his looming presence.But I wasn’t.Instead, I found myself glancing

160Matteo’s POVThere’s something liberating about surrendering to a decision you don’t entirely agree with. I’d told Gianna I wouldn’t push her, and now I had no choice but to honor that promise.So, I shifted my focus to work. Full steam ahead.Monday morning came with a mountain of emails and back-to-back meetings. Perfect. It gave me something to concentrate on that wasn’t her.That decision lasted all of two hours.By the time the coffee run became unavoidable, I knew I was in trouble. Not because I wanted coffee—I needed it—but because her order was already in my head before I’d even reached the counter.Black coffee, two sugars. It wasn’t difficult to remember, but the fact that I couldn’t forget it was the problem.When I returned to the office, I placed her cup on the edge of her desk without a word.Gianna glanced up, startled. “What’s this?”“Coffee,” I replied, already walking away.“Matteo,” she called after me, her tone suspicious.I turned back. “Yes?”She squinted at