Chapter 1 - SHE GOT TO HIM FIRST
Luca had been crying for less than two minutes when Bianca Rinaldi lost patience with him.
Talia Monroe knew because she had looked at the clock the moment the fourteen-month-old began fussing beside the cream sofa.
2:18 p.m.
By 2:20, Bianca was standing over him.
“Up.”
Luca sat on the marble floor surrounded by wooden blocks, one fist pressed against his wet cheek.
Bianca reached for his wrist.
“Come on, Luca.”
The boy resisted.
Bianca pulled harder.
Not enough to drag him.
Enough to make him cry sharply.
Talia crossed the living room before she had time to decide whether intervening would cost her the job.
“Bianca, let him go.”
Bianca turned.
Her hand remained around Luca’s wrist.
“Excuse me?”
“He’s scared.”
“I am trying to get him off the floor.”
“He can stand when he’s ready.”
The grip tightened.
Luca screamed.
That ended the debate.
Talia stepped forward, gently freed his wrist, and lifted him against her chest.
Luca buried his face in the navy fabric of her uniform.
Bianca stared.
There was something worse than anger in her expression.
Humiliation.
She hated being corrected by staff.
Especially in front of Luca.
“Give him to me.”
“No.”
Talia heard herself say it.
A dangerous word in the Rinaldi house.
Bianca’s eyes narrowed.
“He is not your child.”
“I know.”
“Then give him to me.”
“He needs a minute.”
Bianca stepped closer.
“You've been here what? Seven months?”
“Eight.”
“And you think that means you decide what happens in this house?”
“No.”
“You certainly behave like it.”
Talia kept one hand on Luca’s back.
The boy was still trembling.
“I'm asking you to let him calm down.”
Bianca shoved her.
Once.
Not hard enough to knock her down.
Enough to make the insult clear.
Talia stepped back and tightened her hold on Luca.
Bianca smiled.
“Have you forgotten your place?”
Talia said nothing.
“You’re the nanny.”
“I know what my job is.”
“Do you?”
Bianca moved closer, but did not touch her again.
“Because your job is to make my life easier.”
“My job is to care for Luca.”
“My fiancé’s son.”
“Yes.”
“And soon my son.”
Talia’s expression changed.
Luca’s mother had been dead less than a year.
Talia did not say what she was thinking.
Bianca saw it anyway.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
Bianca laughed.
“Smart.”
She looked toward Luca.
The little boy refused to look back.
That seemed to anger her more.
“Go ahead,” Bianca said.
“Tell Dominic.”
Talia looked at her.
Bianca’s smile sharpened.
“Tell him I was too rough.”
Talia remained silent.
“Tell him I pushed you.”
Still nothing.
“Who do you think he’ll believe?”
There it was.
The sentence behind every other sentence.
Status.
Name.
Access.
Bianca lowered her voice.
“You?”
She looked Talia up and down.
“Or the woman he’s marrying?”
Talia felt her pulse increase.
“I’m not competing with you.”
Bianca laughed.
“You already lost.”
Then:
“You’ll be out of this house by tonight.”
Heavy footsteps sounded behind her.
Bianca’s smile vanished.
Talia looked toward the dark-wood entrance.
Dominic Rinaldi stepped into the living room.
Black suit.
No tie.
Expression unreadable.
He was supposed to be downtown until evening.
Luca saw him.
Both arms immediately reached forward.
“Da!”
Dominic’s eyes locked on his son.
Then Talia.
Then Bianca.
“What happened?”
Talia inhaled.
“Mr. Rinaldi—”
“Dominic!”
Bianca moved first.
She crossed the room and placed herself beside him.
Her face transformed.
Fear.
Shock.
Concern.
“I caught her hurting Luca.”
Talia froze.
“What?”
Bianca pointed.
“She was pulling him. He started screaming. I tried to stop her.”
“That’s a lie.”
Dominic looked at Talia.
Not Bianca.
Talia felt the imbalance immediately.
She held Luca tighter.
Bianca continued.
“She became aggressive.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She pushed me.”
Talia stared.
“You pushed me.”
Bianca’s eyes widened as if wounded by the accusation.
“Talia.”
Dominic’s voice was quiet.
That was when everyone in the Rinaldi house became careful.
He stepped closer.
Luca still reached toward him.
Dominic held out his arms.
“Talia.”
She looked at him.
“Give me my son.”
The words hurt more than she expected.
Not because he had asked for Luca.
Of course he should take his child.
Because of the word my.
A boundary.
A reminder.
You are outside.
Talia transferred Luca carefully.
The boy immediately clung to Dominic’s jacket.
Dominic looked at his son’s wet face.
“What happened?”
Talia began:
“Bianca grabbed—”
“Not now.”
Dominic’s gaze remained on Luca.
“He’s frightened.”
“So let me explain.”
“I said not now.”
Bianca lowered her eyes.
A tiny victory.
Talia saw it.
So did nobody else.
Dominic looked at the house manager who had just appeared in the hallway.
“Martin.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take Luca upstairs.”
Luca protested as Martin reached for him.
Dominic changed his mind.
“No.”
He kept the baby himself.
Then looked at Talia.
“You’re done for today.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Mr. Rinaldi—”
“You will be paid.”
“That isn't what I’m asking.”
His expression hardened.
“I need to understand what happened without people shouting over each other.”
“I’m not shouting.”
Bianca whispered:
“Dominic, she scared me.”
Talia turned.
“Stop.”
Dominic’s eyes moved between them.
Then he said the sentence Bianca had been waiting for.
“Talia, go home.”
Silence.
She looked at Luca.
He was watching her over Dominic’s shoulder.
“Talia.”
She picked up her bag.
No pleading.
No scene.
At the entrance, Luca began to cry again.
His arms reached past his father.
Toward her.
Talia stopped.
Dominic felt the movement.
He looked from his son to the nanny.
For the first time, uncertainty entered his face.
Bianca saw it too.
And Talia understood something important.
The lie had worked.
But not perfectly.
Not yet.
She left the mansion without looking back.
Behind her, Bianca exhaled.
May you like
By nightfall, she intended to make sure Dominic never had another reason to question her.
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