Aria's POV

"Who," he ground out, his voice a barely restrained growl, "exactly are you?"

My pulse hammered wildly. The grip he had on my wrist was bruising, his dark eyes tearing through my defenses, searching for the ghost of a woman he had met in an alleyway a year ago.

Before I could force a single word past the lump in my throat, Jasmine thrust herself between us.

"Dom, stop, you're hurting her!" Jasmine wedged her hands against his chest, her voice pitching into a perfect octave of wifely distress. She glanced at my torn collar, her eyes widening for a second in sheer panic before her instincts kicked in.

"Oh," Jasmine let out a breathless, forced laugh, her hands flattening against Dominic's pristine shirt. "You saw her mark. Darling, I told you about my family."

Dominic's gaze didn't leave my face. "What family?"

"The birthmark, Dom." Jasmine reached up, deliberately pulling the silk collar of her lounger down to expose her own right shoulder. "It's a Harrington family trait. I have one, and my cousin Aria has one too. See?"

I stared at her bare skin. There, painted flawlessly with waterproof cosmetic ink, was a crescent-shaped mark. It was exactly same as mine. She had prepared for this. She had known the birthmark would be a detail Dominic might remember from that night, and she had forged it on her own body to solidify her lie.

Dominic slowly turned his head to look at Jasmine's shoulder. His jaw flexed. The chaotic, violent storm in his eyes didn't vanish, but it receded behind a thick wall of ice.

He released my wrist as if my skin had burned him.

Without another word, he stepped back, adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, and looked at his assistant standing quietly by the door. "Chase. We're leaving. Now."

The heavy doors of the library slammed shut behind them, leaving a suffocating silence in their wake.

The moment the lock clicked, Jasmine's fragile facade shattered. She lunged at me, grabbing my arms, her perfectly manicured nails digging into my skin.

"Are you insane?!" she hissed, her face inches from mine, eyes wild and vicious. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"I slipped, Jasmine," I said coldly, shoving her hands off me.

"You listen to me," she breathed, her voice trembling with real, unadulterated fear. "If he finds out the truth, he won't just divorce me. He will put a bullet in my head, and then he will put one in yours for lying under his roof. Do you understand? You will be dead, and Luca will be raised by another woman. You will never see your son again."

She hit the exact nerve she was aiming for. My stomach dropped, bile rising in my throat. I pulled my torn shirt tight across my chest, turned on my heel, and walked out.

Over the next forty-eight hours, the estate felt like a powder keg waiting for a spark. Dominic avoided the residential wing entirely, barricading himself in his study or leaving for "business" before sunrise.

But my attention had shifted to something far more alarming than Dominic Valentino's piercing stares.

It was Luca.

During the day, when Jasmine supposedly "supervised" his care while I slept, the baby was practically a zombie. He barely made a sound, sleeping through feedings, his little limbs limp and lethargic.

But the moment midnight struck and my shift began, it was as if a spell broke. Luca would wake up screaming, his tiny body rigid, crying with a frantic, desperate agony that tore my heart to shreds.

Babies had colic. Babies had sleep regressions. But this felt horribly, sickeningly unnatural.

On the third afternoon, I woke up early. The sprawling mansion was unusually busy. Maria Valentino, Dominic's grandmother, had arrived for an unannounced visit.

I found them in the sunroom. Jasmine was sitting stiffly on a velvet sofa, scrolling on her phone, while Maria sat in a high-backed armchair.

The old woman was blind, her eyes milky and unfocused, but she held Luca securely in her lap.

I stood in the doorway, watching as Maria gently ran her weathered, ring-covered fingers over Luca's pale, sleeping face.

"He is too quiet," Maria murmured, her raspy voice laced with a heavy Italian accent. "A Valentino baby does not sleep like a stone, Jasmine. He breathes like he is swimming in deep water."

"He's just a good sleeper, Nonna," Jasmine said dismissively, not looking up from her screen. "The doctor said he's perfectly healthy."

I walked over to the small cart holding Luca's used daytime bottles. I intended to gather them for the dishwasher, but as I picked up the plastic bottle Jasmine had supposedly fed him an hour ago, something caught my eye.

The milk was gone, but caught in the ridge of the plastic bottom was a thick, chalky white residue.

Formula didn't clump like that. Not if it was mixed with warm water.

I turned my back to the room, my heart suddenly racing. I unscrewed the cap, swiped a finger against the bottom of the bottle, and brought it to my nose. It didn't smell like milk. It smelled faintly chemical, bitter.

My blood froze in my veins.

Sleeping pills. She was drugging my baby. To keep him quiet so she didn't have to deal with him during the day.

A visceral, blinding rage exploded in my chest. My vision actually went white at the edges. I spun around, the bottle gripped so tightly in my hand the plastic groaned.

Jasmine looked up. She saw my face. She saw the bottle in my hand.

For a split second, I saw the truth flash in her eyes, the guilt, the realization that I knew exactly what she had done.

But Jasmine was a survivor, and her counterattack was quick.

She threw her phone across the room, stood up, and let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Help! Someone help me!" Jasmine shrieked, rushing toward Maria and snatching the sleeping baby from the old woman's arms. "She's poisoning my baby! Help!"

Aria's POV

The doors burst open. Dominic strode in, his face murderous, with Chase right on his heels.

"Dom!" Jasmine sobbed, clutching Luca to her chest as she pointed a shaking finger at me.

"I caught her! I saw her putting powder in his milk! She's unhinged, Dominic! She has a criminal record for assault. She's a violent felon! Call the police! Send her back to prison before she kills him!"

The sunroom descended into chaos. The guards at the door reached for their weapons. Maria gripped the arms of her chair, her blind eyes wide.

My eyes were rimmed red, filled with a mother's protective fury.

I stood my ground, my chest heaving, refusing to let go of the bottle in my hand. I stared straight at Jasmine, silently promising her that if my son was hurt, I would tear her apart with my bare hands.

Dominic's eyes swept the room. They bypassed his hysterical wife. They bypassed his confused grandmother.

They locked onto me.

He looked at my shaking hands, the death grip I had on the baby bottle, and the raw, absolute devastation on my face.

Dominic held his hand out toward me, his voice a lethal, terrifyingly calm command that silenced the entire room.

"Give me the bottle." He didn't blink. He turned his head slightly to his assistant. "Chase. Lock down the estate. Nobody leaves. And pull the security footage from the nursery for the last forty-eight hours."

I handed Dominic the plastic bottle. Our fingers brushed. His skin was ice cold.

"A doctor," I choked out, ignoring Jasmine's fake sobs. "Please. Look at him. He is too pale. Get a doctor for Luca first. The cameras do not matter right now."

Jasmine clutched the baby tighter to her chest. "Don't listen to her, Dom! She wants a doctor to cover her tracks! She is dangerous!"

Dominic stared at me. His jaw locked. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Dr. Evans. Get to the estate. Five minutes." He ended the call and handed the bottle to Chase. "Take this to the lab."

We waited in the main living room.

The doctor went upstairs to check Luca. Jasmine paced the floor, crying loud, dramatic tears.

I stood by the large glass window, my arms wrapped around myself. My chest ached. I just wanted my son to be okay.

Chase walked into the room. His face was grim.

"Boss," Chase said. "The nursery cameras went dark at 1:00 PM. Someone wiped the local drive."

Jasmine gasped. "She destroyed the footage!"

I frowned. I did not know how to hack a security system.

I looked out the window. Down by the service gates, a dark gray sedan was pulling away. The driver rolled down his window to scan a badge.

Daniel.

My blood ran cold. Jasmine's boyfriend. He had security clearance to visit her. He wiped the cameras.

"Throw her out, Dominic!" Jasmine yelled. "She drugged my baby and erased the video. Send her back to jail!"

The guards stepped closer to me. The air in the room grew thin. I had no proof. Jasmine had set the perfect trap.

The heavy thump of a wooden cane hit the marble floor.

Maria walked forward. The blind woman moved with purpose. She stopped right in front of me. She reached out and grabbed my right hand.

I flinched, but she held on. Her thumbs rubbed over my palms. She felt the thick calluses from years of waitressing and prison laundry.

"Nonna, get away from her," Jasmine pleaded.

Maria ignored her. She turned her sightless eyes toward her grandson.

"The person who drugged my Luca had a heart beating like a drum," Maria said, her voice dry and firm. "You smelled like fear, Jasmine. But this girl..."

Maria squeezed my rough hand.

"This girl has the hands of someone who works. She only asked for a doctor. She genuinely cares for Luca. Dominic, are you blind?"

Silence filled the room. Jasmine turned pale.

Dominic looked from his grandmother to me. He raised a hand. The guards stepped back.

Midnight. The estate was dark. Dr. Evans had cleared Luca, saying the dose was small and he would sleep it off.

I sat on the edge of my small bed, staring at the blank wall.

The door handle turned.

Dominic stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. The room was small, and his massive frame took up all the space.

He did not yell. He did not ask about the sleeping pills.

He tossed a thick manila folder onto my mattress.

I looked down. It had the Lockwood Correctional logo stamped on the front.

"I read your prison file," Dominic said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Who did you take the fall for?"

Aria's POV

"I told the police everything," I said, staring at the thick file on my bed. "I hit a guy who put his hands on his girlfriend."

I refused to let Dominic dig into my past. A year ago, I walked into my cramped apartment after that dark alley encounter.

I found Daniel pushing Jasmine against a wall. He tried to force a kiss. I swung hard and broke his nose.

Jasmine panicked and kicked him in the ribs. Daniel ended up in the hospital. Jasmine was still in college.

I took the blame so her record stayed clean.

Dominic watched me. His dark blue eyes gave nothing away.

"The sleeping pill investigation is paused," he said with a flat voice. "I hired a team to recover the wiped camera data. The lab is pulling fingerprints off the plastic bottle."

My chest tightened. "You still think I did it."

"You are a suspect. But Luca screams if anyone else holds him." He tapped the folder against his leg. "You keep your job, Aria. For now."

He turned and walked out.

I stared at the closed door.

Why did he explain his plan to me?

A brutal mafia boss would just lock me in a basement and throw away the key.

Dominic Valentino used logic. He relied on evidence.

I realized he was not a cruel monster. He was just a man protecting his son.

The next few days fell into a strange routine.

Jasmine stayed away from the estate. She spent her hours buying designer clothes and getting spa treatments.

With me and Luca out of her sight, Jasmine felt safe.

I learned the layout of the massive house. I also noticed a glaring detail.

Jasmine's bedroom was down the hall from the nursery. Dominic slept in the master suite on the opposite side of the estate. They did not share a bed.

A heavy knot in my stomach loosened at that thought. I pushed the feeling away and focused on Luca.

Thursday afternoon brought warm sunlight. I sat on a blanket in the manicured garden, letting Luca grab at the green grass. He giggled. The bright sound made me smile.

"Well, this is a beautiful sight."

I looked up. A man leaned against the stone fountain.

He had messy brown hair, an expensive linen suit, and a lazy grin. He shared Dominic's sharp jawline, but his energy was loose and playful.

"Are you lost?" I asked, pulling Luca closer to my chest.

The man laughed. He walked over and sat on the grass right next to me.

"I live here. Sometimes. I am Marco. Dominic's cousin." He leaned in, his blue eyes dropping to my lips. "And who is the stunning woman holding my little nephew?"

"I am the nanny," I said, ignoring his charm.

"A tragedy," Marco sighed, touching a lock of my hair. "A face like yours belongs on a magazine cover, not hidden in a nursery."

I slapped his hand away. Marco just laughed harder.

That night, the house filled with people. Dominic hosted a welcome-back dinner for Marco.

The dining room glowed with crystal chandeliers. I stayed near the back hallway, keeping a sleepy Luca quiet in my arms.

Marco drank wine and told loud stories about his trip to Europe. Jasmine sat near Dominic. She tried to hold his hand. Dominic kept his hands flat on the table.

After dinner, a string quartet started playing in the grand hall. Guests moved to the dance floor.

Marco spotted me by the stairs. He set his drink down and walked over.

"Give the baby to a maid," Marco said, holding out his hand. "Dance with me."

"I am working, Marco," I said.

Jasmine appeared out of the crowd. Her eyes sparkled with malice. She wanted me gone. A rich, playboy cousin was the perfect distraction.

"Oh, Aria, go ahead," Jasmine said with a sweet smile. "You work too hard. Marco is a great catch. You're my cousin. He's Dom's cousin. Maybe you two will fall in love and get married. I will watch Luca."

She reached for the baby. Luca whimpered and turned his face into my neck. He gripped my shirt tight.

Marco grinned. "See? The baby is fine. My future bride needs a dance."

He grabbed my free hand. He pulled me toward the center of the hall. The music swelled. I tried to pull back, but Marco spun me around.

A large hand clamped over Marco's wrist.

The movement was so fast I gasped. Dominic stood between us. His face was carved from stone. The air around him felt heavy and cold.

He shoved Marco's hand away. Dominic wrapped his arm around my waist. He pulled me flush against his side.

"She has to take care of Luca tonight," Dominic said, his voice a low, vibrating threat. "She is going nowhere."

The music played, but the room went still.

Marco lowered his hands. His lazy smile vanished. He stared at Dominic's arm wrapped tight around my waist.

Marco's eyes flicked to my face, then back to his cousin.

"Dom," Marco said. "Is that how you look at a nanny?"