ENTANGLED WITH THE BOSS

CHAPTER2

Teresa had not slept. All through the night, she lay awake while Antonio breathed softly beside her. Every time she closed her eyes, the messages returned. You can't hide forever, Teresa. Where is my money? By morning, she had counted the money in her envelope three times. It was still not enough. It would never be enough.

She slipped out of bed before Antonio woke and walked quietly to the kitchen. Her eyes kept drifting to her phone on the counter. She had not heard from Luca since the night before, and the silence terrified her more than the threats. Luca was not a man who forgot, and he was not a man who forgave. If he had gone quiet, it meant he was planning something far worse.

The sound of footsteps made her turn. Antonio crossed the room, slipped his hands around her waist, and gently turned her to face him. "Good morning," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her softly.

When he pulled back, Teresa's expression had softened, though the tension in her shoulders remained. "You're up early," he said, and she looked away.

"I couldn't sleep."

He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter beside her. "Rough night?"

Teresa forced a small smile that did not reach her eyes. "Just tired."

Antonio studied her for a long moment, then touched her arm gently. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Teresa. Whatever it is, I'm here."

The kindness in his voice made her chest ache. For a brief, dangerous second, she almost told him everything. The debt. The threats. Nico. But then she imagined the betrayal in his eyes and the way everything she had built would crumble. "There's nothing to talk about, trust me, I'm fine," she said, forcing another smile as she turned away. Antonio watched her for a moment longer, searching her face for something she was not willing to give, but he did not press her. He never did.

Upstairs, Isabella woke to the same uneasiness she had carried to bed, her mind returning to the messages she had glimpsed on Teresa's phone. Something was wrong in this house, and no one was saying it out loud. She dressed quickly and went downstairs, and when she stepped into the kitchen, both Teresa and Antonio looked up as though she had interrupted something private. A smile spread across Isabella's face as she sat beside her father. "Good morning, Dad. You came home very late."

He squeezed her hand. "I know, and I'm sorry. There was a problem at the office that needed sorting out."

"You could have called. You had me really worried," Isabella said, her lips curved into a small pout.

"I know, and I'm sorry, my darling." He sighed and leaned back. "At least I'm home now."

For a few moments, the warmth between them made the house feel ordinary again. Then Isabella glanced at Teresa, and the feeling returned. Teresa stood by the counter with her back to them, holding a cup she was not drinking from, her eyes flickering toward the phone beside the sink. Isabella watched her touch things without using them, open drawers for no reason, and glance at her phone as if it might explode.

"You seem distracted," Antonio said, watching her. It was not the first time he had seen her like this, but something about this morning felt different.

Teresa turned with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "I'm just tired, that's all. I didn't sleep well last night."

Antonio frowned slightly. "Then you should take the day off. Stay home and rest."

"I can't," Teresa said, the answer coming too quickly. She softened her voice. "There are things I need to do around the house today."

Antonio studied her for a long moment, searching her face for something she was not willing to show him. He wanted to believe her, but there was a tension in her voice that did not match her words. Still, he had learned long ago not to push her when she was like this. "All right," he said at last. "But promise me you'll rest when you can."

Isabella said nothing, but she watched. She watched the way Teresa's fingers tightened around her cup when Antonio mentioned that he would probably be late again that night.

"Late?" Teresa asked, and something in her voice made Antonio pause.

"There's still work to finish at the office," he replied, reaching for another piece of toast. He had no idea that every word was landing on Teresa like a blow.

Teresa looked down at the table. "You said you were almost done."

"I thought I was," Antonio said with a small shrug. "But things came up. You know how it is."

A strange silence followed, the kind that settles between two people when one of them is hiding something and the other can feel it without knowing what it is. Then, almost too quietly for him to hear, Teresa asked, "Will you be at the office all day?"

Antonio looked at her curiously. "Probably. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Teresa said quickly, turning her face away so he would not see the fear in her eyes.

Isabella's stomach tightened. That was the second time she had seen fear cross Teresa's face, and this time it was unmistakable. She remembered the message from the night before and the way Teresa had hidden her phone. Whoever was sending those messages, Teresa was terrified of them.

Antonio pushed his chair back and stood. "I should get going."

Isabella stood with him, grabbing her bag. "I'll leave with you," she said, and when he asked if she was working today, she nodded. A small smile crossed his face. "Then we can keep each other company on the way."

They walked toward the hallway, and Teresa followed a few seconds later, wiping her hands on a towel. "You're leaving already?" she asked, her voice strained.

Antonio turned. "I told you I have work," he said patiently. Teresa only nodded and looked away. He stepped closer and kissed her cheek, but she stiffened so suddenly that Isabella noticed at once. It lasted only a moment before Teresa forced a smile and said, "Have a good day."

"You too," Antonio replied, and he walked out the door without looking back. Isabella followed, but before stepping outside, she glanced back. Teresa was standing in the hallway, her eyes fixed on her, and there was something in her expression that Isabella could not understand. Her lips parted slightly, but nothing came. Isabella finally turned away.

The door closed behind them, and Teresa stood in the hallway and listened. She listened to the car starting, to the engine fading into the distance. Only when the house had fallen completely silent did the smile disappear from her face. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, her chest tight and her hands trembling.

Nico had been Teresa's lover long before she married Antonio, and their affair never truly ended. She borrowed money for him without him ever knowing, and she stayed with Antonio only for the security his wealth provided. That was how Luca Moretti entered her life. Everyone in Rome knew the name. Luca was not merely a lender but a mafia boss who operated in the shadows, a dangerous and cold-hearted man who could sit across from a person with a calm expression while deciding exactly how to destroy them.

Teresa had heard stories about what Luca did to those who refused to pay. A man who tried to cheat him was found in the trunk of his own car, alive but broken, with every finger crushed, and another watched Luca's men burn his restaurant while Luca stood across the street, smoking a cigarette and saying nothing. Teresa had told herself she did not need to be afraid. She had only borrowed money and would repay it, but she hadn't, and now the debt had grown until the person she owed had stopped being patient. She reached behind a stack of cleaning supplies in the cabinet beneath the sink and pulled out a small envelope, her hands trembling as she counted the money inside. The amount was painfully small compared with what she owed.

"How am I supposed to fix this?" Her voice sounded unfamiliar in the empty kitchen. There had to be somewhere else she could get it. Her jewelry, perhaps, though even that would not be enough. She thought about telling Antonio, but the idea alone made her stomach twist. He would never forgive her, and neither would Isabella.

She locked herself in her bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, but every possibility she considered led to another dead end. She could not face Luca alone, could not tell Antonio the truth, and could not find enough money to make the problem disappear. Her hands began to shake. There was only one person left to call. Teresa picked up her phone, stared at Nico's name for several seconds, and finally pressed the call button. He answered after the second ring.

"What happened?" Nico asked, an edge of impatience in his voice.

Teresa's voice trembled. "You know exactly what happened. Luca wants his money."

There was a brief silence. "How much time do we have?"

"Not enough," Teresa whispered.

Nico let out a slow breath. "Teresa, listen to me carefully. We can't stay here. We have to leave the country."

Teresa sat up straighter, her heart pounding. "Leave? Just like that?"

"Yes. In two days. I'll handle everything, and we can travel somewhere he won't find us."

"Two days?" Teresa repeated, her voice rising with panic. "How are we supposed to arrange that in two days?"

"I'll handle it," Nico said firmly. "But you have to trust me. If we stay, Luca will find you, and when he does, he won't care about your excuses. He never does."

Teresa looked toward the locked bedroom door, her thoughts going to the two people downstairs who had no idea what was happening. "And Antonio? Isabella?" she asked quietly.

There was a pause at the other end, and when Nico spoke again, his voice was cold and certain. "You can't take them with you. You know that."

The words made her stomach twist painfully. "I can't just disappear from their lives, Nico. I can't just vanish without a word."

"If you stay, Luca will destroy everything you care about," Nico said. "He will come for you, and he won't stop until he has taken everything. Do you understand what that means?"

Teresa's hands tightened around the phone. She had spent years hiding her affair, her debts, and the truth about Nico. Now she was being asked to abandon her home and run away with the man who had caused it all. But fear was stronger than reason.

"What do you want me to do?" Teresa whispered.

"Pack only what you need, and don't tell anyone," Nico said. "In two days, we'll leave before he realizes we're gone. We'll meet tomorrow night and finalize everything."

Teresa's hand tightened around the phone, and having no other option or solution, she asked, "Where?"

"I'll send you the location," Nico replied, and just before the line went dead, Teresa heard something in the background. It was faint, almost drowned out by the static, but it was there. A door closing. Footsteps. And then a voice, low and unfamiliar, speaking to Nico in a tone that made Teresa's blood run cold.

The call ended, and Teresa remained seated on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone in her hand. In two days, she would have to run away before Luca Moretti could find her, and this time, there would be no way to return. But as she sat there in the silence, one thought kept circling in her mind. What would happen to Isabella and Antonio when she was gone?