Entangled With The Mafia

Episode1

Chapter 01

The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as I leaned over the counter, jotting down the last details of an order. A three-tiered wedding cake with buttercream frosting, delicate roses piped along the edges—simple but elegant. The kind of cake my grandparents loved making, the kind that kept our little bakery afloat.

“Seriously, Kelly, you should’ve seen his face,” I said, balancing my phone between my shoulder and ear while scrawling a quick note on the order form. “He looked like I’d just stolen his last donut.”

Kelly’s laughter crackled through the phone. “You’ve got to stop antagonizing customers, Eliza. Not everyone gets your sense of humor.”

“It’s not my fault he couldn’t decide between lemon tart and strawberry shortcake,” I teased. “The man looked ready to write a dissertation about it.”

Kelly was still laughing when I turned around to grab the order binder, my gaze flicking to the small TV mounted in the corner of the bakery. The cheerful buzz of a morning talk show had been playing in the background, but now the screen showed something different.

My breath caught as the words BREAKING NEWS scrolled across the bottom. Images of a collapsed building filled the screen, clouds of dust and rubble, emergency workers swarming the site.

“An earthquake has caused significant damage to multiple buildings across the city,” the reporter said, her voice urgent. “One of the hardest-hit areas is Lincoln Elementary School—”

The binder slipped from my hands, thudding against the counter.

“Kelly, I’ve got to go.” My voice was shaking.

“Eliza? What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer. My heart was pounding too loudly in my ears. Lincoln Elementary. Georgie’s school.

I bolted for the door, barely registering the concerned looks from the few customers seated in the bakery. My apron tangled around me as I ripped it off, fumbling to shove my phone into my pocket.

The streets blurred as I ran, the reporter’s words echoing in my mind.

“…multiple injuries reported… search and rescue teams on site…”

By the time I reached the school, my lungs were burning, my legs trembling. A crowd had gathered outside the yellow caution tape, parents crying, teachers clutching each other. The building was unrecognizable, reduced to jagged concrete and twisted metal.

“Excuse me,” I gasped, shoving through the crowd. “My brother—Georgie—he’s in there. He’s only ten—”

“Ma’am, you can’t be here,” a firefighter said, stepping in front of me.

“But my brother—”

“They’ve transported the injured to City General,” he said firmly. “You should go there.”

City General. I turned and ran again, ignoring the stitch in my side, ignoring the way my vision blurred from tears.

The hospital was in chaos. Nurses and doctors rushed past with stretchers, the waiting room packed with families desperate for news.

“Excuse me,” I said, my voice cracking. “My brother, Georgie—Georgie Palmer—he was at Lincoln Elementary. Please, where is he?”

The nurse behind the desk barely glanced at me before pointing down the hall. “Room 214.”

I didn’t wait for more instructions. I sprinted down the hall, dodging carts and staff. My foot caught on something—a cable or a misplaced mop—and I went sprawling.

A hand gripped my arm, pulling me upright. “Are you okay?”

“I—” I looked up briefly, catching a glimpse of a man in a sharp suit, dark hair, and piercing eyes. I didn’t stop to thank him. “I have to go.”

I tore away from him, my mind only on Georgie.

Julian POV

I watched the girl run off, her wild brown hair bouncing as she disappeared down the hall. For a moment, I was too stunned to react.

People didn’t usually bump into me—literally or figuratively—and they certainly didn’t run off without a second glance.

“Who even…” I muttered, brushing imaginary dust off my sleeve.

But something about her lingered in my mind. The panic in her eyes, the tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t just rushing; she was running like her life depended on it.

“Mr. Del Crov,” a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to see Dr. Harris approaching, clipboard in hand.

“The triplets’ checkups are complete,” he said. “Everything looks good. You can take them home now.”

“Good,” I replied, though my mind wasn’t entirely on his words. My thoughts drifted back to the girl. What had happened to make her look so devastated?

---

**Eliza**

Georgie looked so small in the hospital bed, his face pale against the white sheets. Bandages wrapped around his head and arms, his left leg in a cast.

“Georgie,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

He didn’t respond. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.

A doctor appeared at my side, her expression grim. “Are you his sister?”

“Yes,” I said quickly. “How is he? Is he going to be okay?”

She hesitated. “Your brother sustained significant injuries. The ceiling collapsed on him during the earthquake. He’s stable for now, but… there’s damage to his spine. We’re not sure if he’ll be able to walk again.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “No,” I whispered. “No, that can’t be right. He’s just a kid. He loves soccer—he’s supposed to—”

“I understand this is difficult,” she said gently. “But I recommend starting physiotherapy as soon as possible. It could make a difference.”

Physiotherapy. I nodded numbly, barely hearing her as she explained the next steps.

---

Kelly arrived an hour later, wrapping me in a tight hug as soon as she saw me.

“Eliza,” she said softly, pulling back to look at me. “How’s Georgie?”

I shook my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “They don’t know if he’ll ever walk again, Kelly. And the physiotherapy—it’s so expensive. I don’t know how we’re going to afford it.”

Kelly squeezed my hands. “We’ll figure it out, okay? One step at a time. Georgie’s alive, and that’s what matters.”

I nodded, trying to cling to her words, but the weight of everything pressed down on me.

When I told my grandparents, their reaction was what I expected—tears and quiet determination. They wanted to sell the bakery, their pride and joy, to pay for Georgie’s treatment.

“No,” I said firmly. “You’ve worked too hard for this. I’ll find another way.”

---

The next morning, after a sleepless night at the hospital, Kelly met me in the lobby with her phone in hand.

“I found something,” she said hesitantly.

“What is it?”

“A nanny placement agency,” she said, showing me the screen. “They recruit for the rich and elite. I don’t know, Eliza… it’s a long shot.”

I didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll do it.”

“Eliza, are you sure? It’s not just babysitting. These families can be… demanding.”

“I

don’t care,” I said, taking her phone to fill out the application. “If it means I can help Georgie, I’ll do whatever it takes.”