Chapter 4

• "Where are you going?" asks Lucifero, who is in the main living room while the twins are with their new nanny.
• "I want to be alone!" He replies indifferently.
• "I feel like your mother made a good choice, my friend. That girl looks ordinary, no intention of seducing you, just lower your guard for the sake of your children."
• "It's because of them that I'm doing this crap! I would have preferred to say that their mother is dead, but no... Minerva and her crazy ideas." He snaps and takes a cigarette out of his blazer, then his silver lighter with diamond inlays. "Damn, this is driving me crazy! I don't like my children having a nanny, I can't stand it."
• "Let's trust that the girl will do well," Lucifero tries to calm him down.
• "Don't you know who that girl is?" He sees his friend shake his head. "She's the girlfriend of that jerk Antonio!" He takes a deep puff of his cigarette.
• "I didn't know that!" He gets up, worried. "Do you think he sent her to be an infiltrator?"
• "Investigate that girl! I have to get rid of her, I can't stand her presence." He clenches his jaw as he remembers, seeing her practically running away and then her clumsiness for not looking ahead and bumping into him.
• "If you want, I can send her six feet under right now, and the annoying friend too."
• "Did I tell you to kill her?" Lucifero lowers his gaze as a gesture of respect. "Investigate that woman, and if she's sent by Rozzi, I'll kill her myself for being an impostor." Lucifero is left speechless, he senses that something is not right with his boss.
• "No..." I answer, terrified, and then I see the girl's face slowly sadden.
• "Doesn't our mother want us?" Her question broke my heart, and seeing her shed tears, I felt a great need to hug her just like my beloved mother did every time she saw me sad.
• "I'm so sorry." It's all I could say in the face of the little girl's pain that she showed me with her tears and her voice.
• "Little ones, I already told you that your mother is saving the animals in Africa. Come, Michelle, say hello to the nanny." Minerva is on pins and needles, she knew this wasn't easy, however, she senses that Sofía can break those barriers that her grandchildren have after their mother's absence and their father's contempt.
• Michelle couldn't stand there looking at Sofía anymore, and he left to lock himself in his room. "I'll go talk to Michelle, his mother's absence has affected him a lot." Minerva goes to look for him.
• "We don't want a nanny, we want our mother!"
• "That's right... I'm not your mother, but I can be your friend and help you, we can do a lot of girl things." Sofía tries to convince her.
• "Our parents don't love us!" The girl runs off. She is disappointed, she longed for it to be her mother who was visiting them.
• "Wait, don't go!" Sofía feels a pang in her chest and runs after the girl to catch her.
• Sofía leaves that cold and dark room for the main living room, where everything is different, elegant, spacious, fresh, definitely a dream. "Daddy!" The girl seeks refuge in him, who keeps his cold gaze on Sofía, who couldn't help but stare at him, stunned by such a handsome man, much more handsome than in the magazines where he appears. "Daddy, where's my mommy?" she asks, sobbing, but Leonardo, no matter how much he tries to give love to his children, feels stuck. He wasn't prepared to be a father when he was surprised by the mother of his children. He doesn't want to hurt his offspring and much less have them suffer for not having a mother, which is why he accepted Minerva's crazy proposal of a nanny to fill those empty spaces the children have in their hearts.
• "I... it's better if I go," Sofía says, feeling a lump in her throat.
• "You're not going anywhere!" Leonardo orders.
• "I need some fresh air, my friend is outside, things haven't gone well," she explains, trying to get them to let her out, but apparently, she is a prisoner of her destiny.
• "Take care of Miss Mangano's friend, Lucifero. Tell her that she is working." Leonardo orders, with that powerful, manly voice that stopped Sofía's intentions.
• "Yes, sir." Lucifero leaves.
• "Daughter, go to your room." He orders her.
• "But... I want to be with you, please, Daddy." She begs him.
• "Obey, Chiara." The girl looks at Sofía with sadness. She leaves with her head down, and only the two of them are left alone.
• I don't understand why this man looks at me as if I were his enemy and much less why his presence makes me nervous. Damn, I'm not in the mood to think about another man. Besides, this is my job. I have to be professional, not mix my feelings, and much less show weakness after Antonio's betrayal. Sofía is in her thoughts, and she couldn't hold his gaze any longer.
• "Sofía Mangano." He mentions her firmly, approaching her so as not to speak too loudly and not be heard. When he is a step away from her, he makes her shiver.
• That perfume... I've smelled it before. Sofía says mentally, and all her skin tingles.
• "Are you so cowardly that you can't look me in the eye?" he asks with disdain, and she looks up, getting caught in his gaze. It's like a spell, and she doesn't understand it.
• "I'm not, Mr. Di Napoli." She replies, lowering her gaze to those attractive lips, making her even more nervous.
• "What do you want? What have you really come for? To be honest, if it were my choice, I would choose any woman but you." Sofía frowns; she doesn't understand why he is so arrogant with her.
• "To your misfortune, I already signed the contract, Mr. Di Napoli. But to my greater misfortune, I didn't know I was coming to work for you, because I assure you I wouldn't be here." She responds with firmness, making him angry. She doesn't plan on staying close to this man any longer and wants to leave, but he won't let her because he grabs her by the arm.
• "This is not over. Don't get smart. I am the king here, and you owe me respect. Change your attitude and stop being a smartass."
• "You are not the king of my life, Mr. Di Napoli." She looks at his lips. She can't take it anymore; he's too attractive.
• "What are you looking at so much, Sofía Mangano?" He asks, while his gaze pierces hers, making Sofía feel uncomfortable