Chapter 6 - Whispers in the Dark
Three months passed, and the Rossi estate transformed completely.
The dark, gloomy atmosphere that had hung over the mansion since the death of Leo’s wife began to lift. Beatrice managed the house with a gentle efficiency. She hired new, kind staff members who treated Lily with affection rather than cold formality.
Lily began to blossom. She spoke in full sentences now, her soft voice filling the grand hallways. She laughed. She drew new pictures—pictures that no longer showed dark shadows, but bright gardens, big suns, and three figures holding hands: Leo, Lily, and Beatrice.
Yet, outside the walls of the mansion, the world was far from peaceful.
The Moretti crime family was furious over the loss of their leverage. The botched deal with Victoria had humiliated them, and rumors began to circulate through Chicago that Leo Rossi had grown soft, distracted by a heavy-set maid he had brought into his inner circle.
One evening, Leo sat in his study with Mateo, looking over intelligence reports.
"They're watching the house, Boss," Mateo reported gravely. "Moretti thinks you're vulnerable. They're making fun of the situation—calling her your 'plump anchor.' They think she's a weakness we left unguarded."
Leo dropped his pen, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists.
"They think Beatrice is a weakness?" Leo’s voice was dark, laced with lethal intent. "They don't understand. She isn't my weakness, Mateo. She is the reason I come home alive every night."
Just then, a knock sounded at the heavy oak door. Beatrice walked in carrying a tray with fresh tea and a small plate of warm lemon tarts she had baked herself.
"I thought you two might need a break," she said with a warm smile.
Mateo nodded respectfully, taking a tart. "Thank you, Miss Beatrice." He bowed slightly and excused himself, leaving Leo and Beatrice alone in the grand office.
Beatrice set the tray down on the desk. She noticed the tension in Leo’s shoulders, the tight line of his jaw. Without thinking, she stepped behind his leather chair and placed her hands gently on his broad shoulders, massaging the tight muscles at the base of his neck.
Leo froze for a second, then let out a deep, exhausted sigh, resting his head back against the leather seat, looking up at her.
"You work too hard, Leo," she said softly, using his first name for the first time—a habit she had picked up over the last month when they were alone.
"I have a lot to protect now," Leo said, his dark eyes searching her face. He reached up, grasping her hand where it rested on his shoulder, bringing it around to his lips and pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to her knuckles.
Beatrice’s heart hammered violently in her chest. A wave of heat rushed through her body.
"Leo..." she whispered.
"I know what they say about you outside these walls," Leo murmured, standing up and turning to face her fully. He closed the distance between them, trapping her gently against the edge of his massive desk. "They think you don't belong here. They think I should have a woman who looks like a magazine cover on my arm."
"Do... do you want that?" she asked, her voice barely a breath.
Leo reached out, cupping both sides of her face, his fingers threading through her soft brown hair.
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"I want the woman who broke a door with her shoulder to save my child," Leo whispered, his gaze dropping to her soft lips. "I want the woman who filled this cold house with warmth. I want you, Beatrice. Only you."
Before she could process his words, Leo leaned down and covered her mouth with his.
