Chapter 2 - THE MAFIA BOSS'S CONTRACT WIFE
Luca Castellano did not look like a man who enjoyed surprises.
Yet his son's words had clearly surprised him.
"What picture, Leo?" he asked.
The little boy immediately lowered his head.
"Nothing."
Luca's jaw tightened.
For a moment, I thought he would question him further.
Instead, he motioned toward his study.
"Miss Bennett, we should talk."
His office occupied an entire wing of the mansion. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Lake Michigan, while a large mahogany desk stood beneath a painting of an older man with Luca's unmistakable eyes.
He offered me a chair.
"My son was kidnapped eighteen months ago," Luca said.
My stomach tightened.
"He was recovered after nine days. Since then, he has suffered from severe anxiety, nightmares, and an intense fear of strangers."
"I'm sorry."
"Thirteen caregivers have tried to help him. You're the first person he's allowed to touch him without panicking."
"Children need patience."
"They also need stability."
He opened a folder.
Inside was a marriage agreement.
I stared at it.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
The contract provided separate bedrooms, separate finances, and complete freedom over personal decisions.
My responsibility would be to provide Leo with consistent parental care.
In return, Luca offered a generous monthly allowance and access to professional support.
"Why marriage?" I asked. "Why not simply employ me?"
"Because my son believes everyone he loves eventually disappears."
Something shifted in Luca's expression.
"And I need him to believe someone will stay."
I thought about Connor.
For two years, I had loved that little boy like my own.
When his mother returned from an extended trip, he had repeated the insults he'd heard from Sebastian's family.
You're fat and ugly. We don't need you anymore.
I swallowed.
"I won't make a promise I can't keep."
"Neither will I."
For the first time, Luca looked less like a feared mafia boss and more like an exhausted father.
I studied the agreement.
"There's something else."
"Go ahead."
"I have depression. I'm receiving treatment. Some days are harder than others."
He didn't recoil.
He didn't tell me to stop being dramatic.
Instead, he asked, "Do you have a doctor you trust?"
I nodded.
"Then your treatment continues. And if you need support, you tell me."
My eyes burned.
Sebastian had once called my illness an excuse for laziness.
Luca simply waited.
Finally, I picked up the pen.
"All right."
Three days after my divorce, I became Nora Castellano.
There was no wedding ceremony.
No flowers.
No guests.
Only a marriage license, two signatures, and a little boy who insisted I wear his grandmother's wedding ring.
That night, Leo appeared outside my bedroom carrying a pillow.
"Can I sleep here?"
"Of course."
He climbed into bed beside me.
For the first time in months, I fell asleep feeling needed rather than unwanted.
But shortly after midnight, I woke to the sound of someone crying.
Not Leo.
The noise came from the hallway.
I opened my door.
At the far end stood a staircase leading to the mansion's third floor.
The floor Luca had forbidden me to enter.
A small shadow moved near the stairs.
May you like
Then I heard a woman's voice.
"Leo should never have survived that night."
