THE MAFIA KING AND HIS LITTLE MAID

Chapter 3

ALLY

A few hours passed, and I still couldn't sleep. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself I should be happy. Grateful, even. I was being given a break, a way out, a countdown to freedom.

But the truth? I wasn't happy. Not even close.

The idea of leaving this place—this strange, cold, yet oddly safe mansion—only made my chest feel tighter. Outside, the world hadn't changed. I was still jobless, barely qualified, with nothing to go back to but part-time work and a struggling family who'd look at me like I had all the answers.

Dante pays his staff well. More than well. Ella always says we're lucky—fed, clothed, sheltered. No rent, no real stress. And she's right. The living conditions here? Better than anything I've ever known. Safe, stable, structured. A controlled kind of chaos.

So why did I suddenly feel like I was walking toward a cliff?

I was nervous. What if he said no? What if he didn't care whether I stayed or left? He had more than enough maids. Girls prettier, quieter, easier to manage. Girls who didn't come attached to old family debts and complicated emotions.

But maybe I didn't care anymore. Not enough to keep hiding.

I turned toward the window. Rain blurred the glass in soft streaks. The sky outside was dark, and the storm hadn't let up. It was already late—too late to be wandering. But still, I got up.

Blanket still wrapped around my shoulders, bare feet cold against the floor, I padded out of my room and down the hallway toward Dante's office.

The lights were low, casting golden shadows across the walls. I could hear the gentle tap-tap of rain against the tall windows. Everything felt hushed, like the house itself was holding its breath.

I reached his office door and paused, standing at the threshold, heart thudding in my chest.

I knew I looked a mess—small, pale, still recovering from everything. But I was done waiting.

When I got to his office the doors were opened and no one stood outside. Everyone already retired but I was sure he would still be here. He's always here. Dante looked up from his desk, surprised but unreadable.

"You shouldn't be out of bed" he was voice was calm. And of course handsome as usual.

"I'm not here to collapse again, if that's what you're worried about." I said quietly but steady.

He leans back in his chair, setting down the glass he was holding.

"What are you here for?"

I quietly stepped inside, slowly. Fingers tighten slightly around the blanket. I don't meet his eyes at first.

"The doctor said I fainted because of exhaustion. That I've been pushing too hard." I started.

"And you agree?" He had a look on his face.

I half-smiled "I didn't say that."

"Didn't think so." He said dryly.

A beat passed. My eyes scan the shelves behind him, anywhere but his face. Finally, I exhale softly and looked at him directly.

"You said... the debt would be cleared in six months." Here goes.

Dante nods, his hair falling out in the process. "That's right." He pushed it back.

My voice quieter now, "And when it is, I'm supposed to leave".

He doesn't respond right away. Just watches me carefully.

Rushed, like pulling a thread loose, I let out, "I don't want to leave. Not because I owe anything. Not because I have to be here. I want to work. Really work. As one of your staff. Paid. Like the others".

I'm holding my breath now, like expecting rejection. He rises slowly from his chair, not approaching, just watching.

"Why?" Was his question.

I stiffened slightly, "Because I'm good at what I do. I know this house, the staff. I've worked harder than most. And I'd rather earn my place here than disappear into a world I don't fit into anymore."

Silence again. Rain thickens against the windows. Dante walks toward me slowly, hands in his pockets.

Oh God the tension was killing me.

Dante was calm and unreadable. "You don't owe me anything anymore, Ally". The way my name sounded. Like a warning. But I was too far to give up anyway.

"Exactly. And that's why I'm asking—not begging. Not repaying. Just asking. For a job."

He stops in front of me. His voice is low, but sincere. And his scent was all over the place.

"Do you really want this?" He asked.

Nodding with a steady voice, "I do".

Another pause. Then, with a small, rare softness in his voice—something almost like respect—he gives me the answer.

"Then it's yours. Contract, pay, everything that comes with it. But you follow the doctor's orders. No overworking. No skipping meals. Or I'll fire you myself."

A flicker of relief passes over my face, I'm sure he could see it.

Who is this Dante? I'm sure as hell he wasn't the cold hearted man who took me away from my family. Oh well...might be my family problem not his.

I hold his gaze, a faint smile rising.

"You threatening me with unemployment now?" I couldn't help but say.

Smirking faintly, he replied, "I'm threatening you with care. Get used to it."

I didn't think words could shock me the way this one did. Dante was being different or is this how he has been? I've never had the chance to actually speak with him.

He's not so bad. In fact communication with him has been nothing but...positive.

I stood there a moment longer and something shifts ~ a kind of trust.

A beginning.