Semua Bab The Don’s Mysterious Nanny : Bab 21 - Bab 30

The penthouse felt different when we returned from the hospital. Quieter. More fragile. Like everything could shatter if I moved too fast. Vanessa carried Aria straight to the nursery, her movements careful and protective. I followed, watching how she checked and double-checked everything – the temperature, the baby monitor, the locks on the windows. "She's safe now," I said quietly. "I know." But her hands were still shaking. "Vanessa." "I should make her some food. Something light. The doctor said—" "I'll help." She paused, looking at me with those dark eyes that had haunted my dreams. "You don't have to." "I want to." --- The kitchen felt intimate with just the two of us working side by side. Vanessa moved with practiced efficiency, warming milk and preparing soft foods while I watched her every gesture. The way she tested the temperature on her wrist. The way she hummed softly while she worked. The way she'd broken down completely when Aria got sick. I'd never see

One week.Seven days since Aria's fever broke and she smiled at me like nothing had ever been wrong.Seven days of Alessandro watching me with those dark eyes that seemed to see straight through my soul.Seven days of pretending I wasn't drowning in feelings I had no right to have.The tension between us was suffocating. Every accidental touch sent electricity through my veins. Every shared glance across the dinner table made my heart race. Every time he said my name, I felt like I was coming apart at the seams.He'd meant what he said in the hospital. About wanting a family. About not caring what I was hiding.But he didn't know the truth.And when he found out, his beautiful promises would turn to ash.---Aria was finally sleeping peacefully in her crib, her fever long gone but my protective instincts were still on high alert. I'd been checking on her every hour, unable to shake the memory of how small and fragile she'd looked in that hospital bed.The penthouse felt too quiet. Too

Pain shot through my body as I shifted in the massive bed. Everything ached. Every muscle. Every nerve. Every inch of skin that Alessandro had touched with his hands and mouth. The soreness was a reminder of what we'd done. What I'd let happen. What I'd wanted to happen. My heart hammered against my ribs as the memories flooded back. The way he'd looked at me by the pool. The way he'd kissed me was like he was drowning. The way he'd made me feel things I'd never felt before. The way he'd claimed me. Body and soul. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the images. But they were burned into my memory. The way his hands had felt on my skin. The way he'd whispered my name like a prayer. The way he'd made me forget everything except him. Everything except us. Alessandro's arm was still wrapped around my waist, holding me against his chest. His breathing was deep and even, lost in sleep. He looked younger like this. Peaceful. The hard lines of his face softened,

The phone slipped from my trembling fingers. It hit the carpet with a soft thud, the screen lighting up with my handler's contact information. But I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't force myself to pick it up again. My hands shook as I stared at the device like it was a snake ready to strike. One call. That's all it would take. One call to destroy everything. "Mama?" Aria's sweet voice broke through the fog of panic clouding my mind. She crawled across the carpet toward me, her chubby hands reaching up. I scooped her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. She smelled like baby lotion and innocence. Like everything pure in this twisted world. "I'm here, baby," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Mama's here." But for how long? How long before I had to choose between my mission and this little girl who'd stolen my heart? Aria babbled happily, her tiny fingers playing with my hair. She had no idea that the woman holding her was living a lie. That every day I

I've been losing my mind for three days. Three days since Vanessa called what happened between us a mistake. Three days since she looked at me like I was a stranger. Three days of watching her pull away from me like I'm poison. But I can't let her go. Not when I know what we have is real. Not when I've finally found something worth fighting for. I'm sitting in my office, staring at my laptop screen like it holds the answers to the universe. *How to win a girl back.* *How to make a woman fall in love with you.* *Romantic date ideas that actually work.* This is what my life has become. A grown man googling relationship advice like some lovesick teenager. But I don't care. If this is what it takes to get Vanessa back, I'll do it. The search results are overwhelming. Flowers. Chocolates. Grand gestures. None of it feels right. Then I see it. *Private movie date - intimate and romantic.* Perfect. I find her in the garden with Aria, sitting on a blanket under the old oak tr