Chapter 4 - The Invitation
The digital clock on the desk read 7:15 AM.
Luca pressed the intercom button on his console, his voice smooth, warm, and entirely devoid of the cold menace he had directed at me moments before.
"My apologies, sweetheart. I'm finishing up some early logistics work in the study. Come on up."
The intercom clicked off. Luca looked back at me across the mahogany desk, his gray eyes sharp. "She's coming up. This is your audition, Olivia. If you want to survive the next month in this house, you play your part."
"And what is my part?" I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"The terrified, obedient girl who wants to redeem herself for being clumsy yesterday," Luca instructed quietly, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "Show her you're eager to please. Ask to transfer to her household staff as an apology for ruining the dinner party."
The heavy oak doors of the study swung open before I could formulate a reply.
Vanessa stepped inside, radiant in a cream-colored cashmere sweater and tailored trousers. Her diamond engagement ring caught the morning light streaming through the arched windows. She paused when she saw me sitting at the desk, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her features before she quickly masked it with a polite, brittle smile.
"Olivia," Vanessa said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "I didn't realize you were up here. Are you cleaning the study now?"
I stood up immediately, casting my eyes downward in a display of practiced submissiveness, exactly as Luca had trained me.
"No, Miss Bellini. I was... apologizing to Mr. Moretti for yesterday. For being so careless."
Vanessa’s eyes darted to Luca, searching his face for any sign of suspicion. Finding none, her posture relaxed slightly. A smug, victorious little smile touched the corners of her lips.
"Well, it's good that you understand how important perfection is in this house, Olivia," Vanessa said smoothly, walking over and resting a manicured hand on Luca’s arm. "Accidents can be very costly."
"Indeed they can," Luca agreed, his gaze fixed on Vanessa with a terrifyingly convincing display of affection. He turned slightly toward her. "In fact, Olivia has asked me for a change of pace. She feels terrible about the dinner incident and wants to make amends. I told her she could approach you about transferring over to your family estate as part of your personal household staff starting next week."
Vanessa froze. Her hand tightened instinctively on Luca’s sleeve. For a split second, panic flickered in her eyes—the raw, unfiltered fear of a predator realizing something unexpected had entered her cage.
"Oh," Vanessa said, her voice tightening before she recovered her smooth composure. "That's... completely unnecessary, darling. My household staff is already full."
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"Nonsense," Luca replied smoothly, wrapping an arm around her waist. "A girl who knows how to keep her head down and clean up her own messes is hard to find. Consider it my wedding gift to you, sweetheart. She reports to you starting Monday."
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