Chapter 5

• "Everything is ready!" Minerva, who saw them from a distance, very close together and looking at each other flirtatiously, interrupted with her voice the chemistry that was emerging between her son and her grandchildren's nanny. She quickened her steps and approached them. So Leonardo took his distance, even more irritated by Sofía's attitude. "My grandchildren are waiting for you, Sofía," Minerva said.
• "She's just a nanny, that's all! I hope she doesn't get attached to my children. Although, to be honest, she'll probably only last a week in this job," Leonardo said, giving the girl a withering look.
• "Mrs. Di Napoli, can you please tell me where the children's room is?" Sofía asked, completely ignoring the man who, from the looks of it, is determined to make her life impossible.
• "Down the hall, to the right, dear. There's a hallway; they are in the room with the pink door, which is the girl's," Minerva instructed her, and Sofía nodded her head.
• "Thank you, you are very kind," Sofía said, heading toward the room, but then she stopped. "I almost forgot, ma'am." She turned to look at her. "I have to leave tonight; I'll be back before the children wake up."
• "It's most beneficial for you to stay and sleep here, dear. After all, you'll have what you need, unless you have a boyfriend," Minerva said, looking at her with intrigue.
• "In fact... yes, I have a boyfriend," Sofía lied, because she was afraid that if she said no, they wouldn't let her leave. "I promise this won't affect my work... Besides, today is my birthday and I'm supposed to celebrate," she added, and lowered her gaze because Leonardo intimidates her.
• "Well, it's your birthday! Look what a gift life has given you today. Even if you see it as a misfortune, you will understand many things over time, Sofía. Since you have a boyfriend..." Minerva said, pronouncing the word "boyfriend" slowly so that her son wouldn't dare to get involved with her. "You can go out as many times as necessary, when the children are in classes and when they are asleep. Are we clear on that part?"
• "Thank you, I'll be going now," Sofía said, and she left, finally able to release the air she had been holding because of Leonardo Di Napoli.
• "Leonardo, don't mess this up," Minerva said.
• "I don't know what you're talking about, Mother. I'm going to take a bath; I have a meeting tonight," Leonardo replied.
• "The damage you do to your children with how distant you are is enough. Don't mess this up; Sofía fell like an angel from heaven, Leonardo, and I know I wasn't the best mother to you, or to your brothers, but you know that the life we lead is not easy. Don't drag your children into the same thing; you can have a different life," Minerva said.
• "I like who I am, Mother, and I'm not going to argue about it because neither you nor anyone else will make me change my mind." He turned to leave; he doesn't like to argue with Minerva.
• "And your children? If they ever find out the truth and ask you to leave that bad life, would you do it?" Minerva asked.
• Leonardo smiled bitterly and, without turning to look at his mother, told her:
• "I asked my father the same thing. And guess what? He continued with his bad life!" Having said that, he left for his room, and Minerva's eyes became teary, feeling a lump in her throat and unable to say a word.
• "I told you to leave! What part don't you understand?" Lucifero is angry. Maggie doesn't want to leave until she sees her best friend.
• Maggie gets out of her car angrily and slams the door shut so that man understands that her word is final.
• "Don't yell at me, blockhead!" she points at him, approaching him with disdain. "I came with Sofía and I'm not leaving until she tells me to!"
• "Fine, stay there like an idiot waiting!" he yells at her, and she frowns. Just as she was about to spit out offensive words, since that is her nature, Minerva appears, who is just leaving in her car.
• "What's going on?" she asks, taking off her glasses, since the traces of her teary eyes have surely disappeared.
• "Mrs. Minerva," Lucifero looks at her with respect, "the little girl," he looks at Maggie, "doesn't want to leave. I've told her that her little friend has been hired and can't leave yet."
• "That's right!" Minerva affirms. "I'm the grandmother, sweetie. You can leave in peace and come back for Sofía at 7 p.m. She told me it's her birthday and she's going to celebrate it. Don't worry, it's just that my grandchildren needed attention urgently, so she couldn't come out to give you the message and we sent Lucifero."
• "Lucifero? Pfft! What a ridiculous name! As if it were scary!" she whispers, rolling her eyes, and the man's face immediately turns red with rage. "If that's the case, thank you very much for the information, ma'am, and of course I'll come back for my friend." She approaches her car and gets in.
• "Goodbye, dear," Minerva, seeing that the girl has calmed down, leaves.
• "How dare you mess with me? You don't even know me!" he approaches her with determination.
• "Oh, I'm so scared! The dark one, Lucifero, is going to murder me!" she mocks. "You're an idiot!" she drives off before he gets too close.
• "You insufferable brat!" he yells at her, and she puts her left hand out the window to then give him the middle finger and mock him. That really made him explode.
• "You'll pay for this, brat!" he spat, looking at the car's license plate.
• Sofía arrives at the children's room and opens the door; the girl is crying and the boy is next to her, comforting her. "Hello... can I come in?" she asks nervously, but the children don't answer her. "I... I want to meet you, but what a beautiful room, it's very, very pretty."
• "I know you're here for money, my grandmother and father solve everything with money, we want our mother, not an unknown woman," Michelle is an extremely intelligent child.
• "We just need time to get to know each other. I accept that I am here for work, but I feel like we can help each other, the three of us."
• "We don't need you!" Michelle snaps and Sofía lowers her gaze; she didn't think it would be so difficult for the children to accept her.
• "Things are going to change, I promise, little ones. It's just a matter of time, but everything will get better, and for that I need your help..." She lets out a long sigh. "Being a nanny is not easy, however, I apologize if I cause you any discomfort. I will give you all the love and attention. Should we start from scratch?" She smiles weakly, but neither of them responds to her.
• What Sofía and the children don't know is that they are being watched by a hidden camera in that room, and it is Leonardo who is watching the touching moment.