Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Mafia's Nanny : Kabanata 331 - Kabanata 340

332Gianna’s POV I should have seen it coming.The moment Matteo walked into my office that evening, I knew.There was something in the way he looked at me—calm, steady, determined.No teasing. No games.Just him.Just us.I set my pen down, exhaling slowly. “You’re still here.”“You sound surprised.”I leaned back in my chair, studying him. “Most people go home at a reasonable hour.”“Most people don’t have unfinished business.”His voice was quiet, but I grasped the hidden meaning in it instantly.I swallowed. “Matteo—”“No.” He shook his head, stepping closer. “No more brushing me off. No more pretending.”I stiffened, but he didn’t back down.“You told me I don’t know you anymore,” he said, voice steady. “You were right. But I want to.”I glanced away. “It’s not that simple.”“It never is.”I hated how easily he saw through me.Hated that no matter how hard I tried to keep my distance, he always found his way in.Matteo exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t expe

334Rosa’s POV The first rule of coming back to town? Avoid the Castillo estate at all costs.I had the plan mapped out: check into a hotel, visit Emilia, and pretend I wasn’t back in the same city as Allesio Castillo—the man who shattered my heart like cheap glass. Easy, right?Except, as always, life had other plans.I tightened my coat around me as I walked down the familiar streets, my heels clicking against the pavement. Everything looked the same—the bakery where Emilia and I used to sneak off for pastries, the bookstore where we’d spend hours gossiping instead of reading. It should’ve felt like home. Instead, it felt like a graveyard of memories.And like an idiot, I kept stepping on the ghosts.I stopped in front of Café Verona, a tiny coffee shop where Allesio and I had once shared a stolen moment. It was nothing special, just a rainy afternoon, two cups of coffee, and a conversation that made me feel like he saw me—really saw me. The memory hit me so hard I almost stepped i

336Rosa’s POV I continued walking but of course, I should have remembered that Allesio wouldn’t let me go that easily.“Rosa.”His voice was closer than it should have been. I barely had time to react before his hand wrapped gently—but firmly—around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.I inhaled sharply, my pulse spiking at the contact. My body betrayed me instantly, remembering what it was like to be touched by him, to be wanted by him. To be loved by him.But my heart?My heart remembered the hurt.I yanked my arm back, but he didn’t let go. Not tightly, not enough to hurt—but enough to stop me from running.I glared at him. “Let me go.”“Not until you listen.”I huffed out a bitter laugh. “We’ve been over this. What’s left to say?”His grip loosened, but he didn’t let go. “That I never stopped loving you.”I felt those words more than I heard them.But I couldn’t afford to believe them.I gave him a flat look. “You have a real funny way of showing it.”His throat bobbed. “I was sc

338Rosa’s POV Emilia led me into the sitting room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She didn’t speak right away, just gestured for me to sit while she grabbed a bottle of water from the bar cart.I sank into the couch, my body still buzzing with leftover frustration. My hands were clenched into fists, nails pressing into my palms.“Here,” Emilia said, passing me the bottle.I took it, exhaling sharply before unscrewing the cap. “Thanks.”She settled into the chair across from me, crossing one leg over the other. “So.”I sighed. “So.”She tilted her head. “Are you gonna tell me what the hell just happened out there?”I scoffed. “What do you think happened?”“I think Allesio looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks, and you look like you’re two seconds away from setting this entire house on fire.”I snorted. “That’s a generous estimate.”She smirked. “I figured.” Then, softer, “Talk to me, Rosa.”I stared down at the bottle in my hands. “It just…it still hurts, Emi.”Emilia lea

340Rosa’s POV I should have known better than to think I could go to the market without running into him.It had been days since I last saw Allesio, and I was finally starting to feel like I could breathe again. That was, until I spotted him standing by a fruit vendor, frowning at a crate of oranges like they’d personally offended him.I turned on my heel immediately. Nope. Not today.But before I could make my great escape, his familiar voice called out.“Rosa.”Damn it.I kept walking, pretending I hadn’t heard him.“Rosa.” Closer now.I should have just run.Then a hand closed around my wrist—firm, but not forceful—and I froze.For a second, I didn’t move. I just stood there, hating how my heart reacted to his touch. How, despite everything, my pulse still jumped the way it always did around him.I turned slowly, keeping my expression blank. “Are you stalking me now?”His lips twitched, but the amusement didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s a small town. We were bound to run into each ot