Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Mafia's Nanny : Kabanata 161 - Kabanata 170

161Gianna’s POVI was still reeling from the meeting with our new client when I found myself sitting across from Claire, my mentor and the one person whose advice I always trusted, even when I didn’t want to.Her office smelled like lavender and freshly brewed tea. A stranger would be surprised her office felt homely, due to the corporate and professional vibes it gave off from outside. Claire had been instrumental in shaping my career. She was older than me by a lot, but we still had a very great friendly vibes.“I’ve been hearing things,” she said, folding her hands on the desk.“Things?” I repeated, pretending not to know what she meant.She sighed, tilting her head in that way she always did when she knew I was being intentionally dense. “About you and Matteo.”I stiffened. “How do you know about Matteo?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. And then I scoffed when I remembered that Claire used to work in the office and she still had eyes and ears in it. “I swear to God, Claire, the da

163Gianna’s POVI couldn’t get his voice out of my head.“I’m in love with you.”The words had hit me like a sucker punch, leaving me breathless and unsteady. Hours later, I was still sitting at my desk, staring blankly at the screen as if sheer willpower could force my brain to focus on the numbers in front of me. But it was no use. My mind was a battlefield, and Matteo’s words were winning every skirmish.What scared me the most wasn’t that he said it. It wasn’t even the raw, unflinching way he’d looked at me when he did. No, what terrified me was the fact that some part of me wanted to believe him. That part of me wanted to convince me that he was telling the truth. That he does love me. And I was fighting that part with every fibre of my being.I pushed my chair back with a sigh, rubbing at my temples. The office was empty now, save for the cleaning crew somewhere down the hall. The stillness should have been comforting, but it only amplified the chaos in my head.I’d spent my en

165Matteo’s POVI wasn’t sure why she’d said yes to dinner this time.We’d been circling each other for weeks now, an unspoken tension and awareness building every time we were in the same room. When I’d asked if she wanted to grab a drink after work, I half-expected her to shut me down, sharp and decisive, like she always did when things got too personal.But this time, she surprised me. She had hesitated for a moment before nodding, her eyes guarded.Now, we were sitting in the corner of a dimly lit bar, far enough from the rest of the after-work crowd that it felt like our own little world. Gianna nursed her glass of red wine, her fingers tracing the rim absently, while I sipped a whiskey neat, watching her.She was quiet tonight. Not the composed, commanding quiet she carried at work, but a softer kind—almost vulnerable.“You’re not regretting this already, are you?” I asked, breaking the silence.Her lips twitched, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Not yet. But give it

167Gianna’s POVI wasn’t sure when the shift began—when Matteo’s steady presence stopped feeling like a burden I had to bear and started to feel like something I relied on. But as I sat in my office, staring at the flowers someone had sent over after a successful deal, the thought hit me like a punch to the chest.He’d been patient. Too patient, if I were honest.I pushed back my chair and stood, pacing the length of the office. The blooms on my desk taunted me, bright and celebratory. They were from a client, a token of gratitude for all the work I’d done to close a deal. But the truth was, Matteo had done just as much.More, maybe. Truth be told, he was the one who closed the deal. I was just the figurehead.A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, straightening my blazer as though that would help.Matteo stepped inside, a folder in his hand. His sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was just slightly askew, the kind of imperfection that felt deliberate.“B

169 Gianna’s POV The noise of my heels echoed softly in the quiet hallway outside my office. It was late, past the time any sane person would still be at work, but here I was, clutching a folder like it was some kind of shield against what I was about to do. It was obvious I wasn’t a sane person, or I’d be at home right now, sleeping like I should. Good lord. It wasn’t like I wasn’t exhausted.I stopped in front of Matteo’s office door, staring at it like it might suddenly grow teeth and bite me. The soft glow of light seeped through the crack under the door, proof that he was still inside. Of course he was. Matteo was nothing if not relentless when it came to his work—or, as I was beginning to admit, when it came to me.I raised my hand to knock but hesitated. What was I even going to say? How did you casually admit to someone that they’d somehow taken up residence in your thoughts, dismantling all your carefully built defenses without permission?How do I admit to him that sometim