HER SECRET BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER TWO

LUCA'S POV

The hotel suite felt like a cage. I stood at the window, phone pressed to my ear, dreading the conversation.

"You've been in America for eighteen hours and haven't reported in." My father's voice was cold. "Isabella is concerned."

Isabella monitored everything I did. My sister had become Vittorio's enforcer, keeping me in line with threats and surveillance.

"I'm finalizing the expansion deal," I lied. "The negotiations are delicate."

"See that they stay focused on business. You have three days, Luca. Then you return home."

The line went dead. Three days to figure out how to be part of my daughter's life when my family controlled everything.

Marco, my head of security, appeared in the doorway. "The perimeter is secure. No one followed Ms. Chen from the school."

"Good. Tomorrow at two, I need you to stay back. She wants me alone."

"That's not advisable."

"I don't care. She's not a threat, and I won't scare her off. Have you found anything else about her situation?"

Marco consulted his tablet. "She works full-time at Riverside Elementary, with a modest salary. Rents a two-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood. No significant debt beyond student loans. Her friend Sofia Martinez babysits Aria regularly, no charge. She's been doing it alone, sir, but she's been doing it well."

The guilt was physical. Maya had raised our daughter on a teacher's salary while I lived in a palazzo in Milan.

"I want a trust fund established for Aria. Anonymous, untraceable to the Santoro family."

"Sir, that will raise questions with your father."

"Then make sure he doesn't find out. That's an order."

He nodded and left. I pulled out my phone and opened the magazine article photo. Maya looked older, more serious, but still beautiful. And Aria had dark curls like my mother, those distinctive Santoro eyes.

I'd missed three years of her life. Three years of birthdays and holidays I could never get back.

My phone buzzed with a text from Isabella. "Father says you're in America. What are you really doing?"

I ignored it. She'd figure it out eventually, but I needed time first.

Sleep didn't come easily. I kept seeing Maya's face in that lobby. The anger I'd expected, but the hurt underneath was worse.

MAYA'S POV

"You're making a mistake meeting him alone."

Sofia stood in my kitchen, arms crossed, watching me pace.

"I need answers, Sof. I need to know why he left."

"He could be lying about everything." She gestured toward Aria's room. "What if he tries to take her?"

The fear had been eating at me. "That's why I'm meeting him in public."

"You think he doesn't already know where you live? Men like that have resources."

She was right, and that terrified me. I sank into a chair. "What am I supposed to do? He said he'd go to court if I refused."

"Let him try. You've been her only parent for three years."

"But what if he's telling the truth? What if his family really is dangerous and he was trying to protect us? Don't I owe Aria the chance to know her father?"

Sofia took my hands. "You don't owe him anything. But you're right about Aria. She deserves to know the truth. Just promise me you'll be careful. If anything feels wrong, you leave immediately."

I promised, even though I had no idea what wrong would feel like.

After Sofia left, I checked on Aria. She was sprawled across her bed, stuffed elephant clutched in her arms. She had no idea that tomorrow everything might change.

I pulled out my phone and searched for "Luca Santoro." Photos of him at charity events, business conferences, always in expensive suits. Articles about the Santoro empire, their luxury brands. And buried deeper, rumors about family connections to things that weren't quite legal.

One article showed him with a stunning blonde at a gala in Milan. The photo was dated six months ago.

I closed the browser and tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn't stop racing.

The next day crawled by. I called in sick to work. I dressed carefully, choosing jeans and a simple sweater. Sofia came over at noon to watch Aria.

"Mommy, why can't I come?" Aria asked, holding onto my leg.

"Mommy has a grown-up meeting, baby. But I'll be back soon." I kissed her forehead.

Sofia gave me a long hug at the door. "Call me if you need anything."

The coffee shop was ten minutes away, but I arrived fifteen minutes early.

Luca was already there, two cups of coffee waiting. He stood when he saw me. He wasn't wearing a suit today. Dark jeans, simple black sweater, leather jacket.

"You remembered how I took my coffee." I gestured to the cup.

"I remember everything about you, Maya."

I sat down, putting the table between us. "Then you remember that I don't like games. So tell me the truth. All of it. Why did you really leave?"

He took a breath. "My real name is Luca Santoro. Four years ago, I was running from my family. I came to America, created a new identity, and tried to be someone normal. Then I met you, and for the first time in my life, I was happy."

"That doesn't explain why you left."

"My family found me. My sister Isabella had been tracking me for months. They took me back to Italy and made it clear that if I tried to contact you, they'd hurt you. My father showed me surveillance photos of you. He said you'd disappear if I didn't cooperate."

"So you just gave up? You didn't fight for us?"

"I fought the only way I could. I became what they wanted so they'd stop watching you." His voice cracked. "I thought I was protecting you, Maya. I didn't know you were pregnant. I swear I didn't know."

I wanted to believe him, but trust wasn't something I could afford. "Why come back now? If your family is so dangerous, aren't you putting us at risk again?"

"Because I saw Aria, and I couldn't stay away." He pulled out his phone, showing me the magazine article. "I have a daughter. I've missed three years of her life. I can't miss any more."

"Even if it means putting her in danger?"

"I'll protect you both. Whatever it takes."

I laughed bitterly. "Like you protected me before? By disappearing?"

"I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm asking for a chance to get to know my daughter. Please, Maya. Let me meet her. One meeting."

"And the lawyers? The custody threats?"

"I shouldn't have said that. I was desperate. I'll sign anything you want. Supervised visits, background checks, whatever makes you comfortable."

I studied his face, looking for the lie, but all I saw was desperation. "She asks about you sometimes. About her father. I never knew what to tell her."

"What did you say?"

"That her father had to go away but that it wasn't her fault." Tears burned my eyes. "She's three years old, Luca. She doesn't understand complicated things. She just knows she doesn't have a daddy."

"Then let me try to be one. Please."

I thought about Aria's face when she watched other kids with their fathers. "One meeting. This Sunday at the park near my apartment. Two hours, and I'm there the entire time."

Relief flooded his features. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. If you hurt her, if you disappoint her, if you bring any danger into her life, I will make sure you never see her again. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear."

I turned to leave, then stopped. "One more thing. Does your family know about her?"

His expression darkened. "Not yet. And I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible."

"Why?"

He met my eyes, and I saw real fear. "Because if my father finds out I have a daughter, he'll use her to control me. And if my sister finds out, she'll see Aria as leverage."

My blood ran cold. "What kind of family are you part of?"

"The kind that destroys everything I love if I don't do exactly what they say. That's why I need you to trust me, Maya. At least enough to let me try to keep you both safe."

"Safe from your own family?"

"Yes."

I shook my head. "This is insane. I should take Aria and run."

"Running won't help. If they find out about her, they'll find you anywhere. But if you let me handle this carefully, I can protect you. I can make sure they never know she exists."

"And what happens when she gets older? When she starts asking harder questions?"

He was quiet. "I don't know. But I promise you this: I will do everything in my power to keep her away from that world."

I grabbed my purse. "Sunday at two. The park on Riverside. Don't be late."

"I'll be there."

I was halfway to the door when his voice stopped me.

"Maya? What's she like? Our daughter?"

I turned back, seeing the longing in his face. "She's perfect. She's smart and funny and kind. She loves butterflies and ice cream and bedtime stories." My voice caught. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Does she look like you?"

"No." I met his eyes. "She looks exactly like you.”