The Mafia Boss Rejected Every Supermodel Until His Clumsy Nanny Made His Silent Son Smile Again
CHAPTER 2: THE WOMAN WHO MADE THE ROMANO HEIR SMILE
“Excuse me?”
Cassandra’s perfect smile finally cracked.
“I said,” Dominic repeated, his voice as calm as winter ice, “pack your things.”
Silence flooded the marble foyer.
Even the house staff standing discreetly near the hallway lowered their eyes.
Cassandra let out a nervous laugh.
“You're joking.”
Dominic looked at her once.
“No.”
The single word landed harder than a shout.
She stared at him, convinced this was another one of his cold tests.
“Dominic... because this woman spilled coffee?”
“No.”
“Because she embarrassed herself?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
His eyes shifted toward Leo.
The little boy was still holding the orange crayon.
Still looking at Beatrice.
Still...
Smiling.
Barely.
But smiling.
"You've spent eight months trying to force my son to speak," Dominic said quietly.
"You hired therapists."
"You brought celebrities."
"You invited children's performers."
"You filled this house with expensive toys."
"You told every magazine you were 'helping heal a broken child.'"
His gaze returned to Cassandra.
"And he never smiled."
The words cut cleaner than any knife.
Beatrice stood frozen, wishing she could disappear.
This wasn't her fight.
She wasn't supposed to be standing inside a billionaire's mansion while one of the world's most famous women was being dismissed because of...
A crayon.
Cassandra's voice sharpened.
"You're humiliating me over a fat nanny?"
The insult echoed through the foyer.
Beatrice instinctively looked down.
Old habit.
Always look down.
Always pretend it didn't hurt.
Before she could retreat another step—
A tiny hand reached toward hers.
She blinked.
Leo.
He hadn't let go of the crayon.
Instead, with hesitant fingers, he gently tugged on the sleeve of her navy dress.
Everyone stopped breathing.
Mrs. Alvarez, the elderly housekeeper who had worked for the Romano family for twenty-three years, covered her mouth.
"Madonna..." she whispered.
"He hasn't touched anyone since Mrs. Romano died."
Dominic didn't move.
He looked as though even breathing might frighten the moment away.
Beatrice slowly crouched.
"Hi again," she whispered.
Leo looked at the coffee stain.
Then back at her.
Without speaking, he held out the orange crayon.
Offering it to her.
Beatrice smiled softly.
"Oh."
"You want me to keep it?"
Leo shook his head.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
Then he pointed toward the marble floor.
She frowned.
"The floor?"
Another tiny nod.
She looked down.
Then understood.
"You want..."
"...to draw?"
His eyes brightened.
The first spark of life anyone in that room had seen in years.
Cassandra scoffed.
"This is ridiculous."
"He's going to draw on twelve-thousand-dollar Italian marble?"
Without looking away from Leo, Dominic spoke.
"Leave."
Cassandra's jaw tightened.
"You cannot be serious."
"I have attended every charity gala with you."
"I introduced you to senators."
"I tolerated your interviews."
"I tolerated photographers following my son."
"I tolerated you treating my staff like furniture."
His voice never rose.
"I will not tolerate you speaking to a child—or anyone else—the way you just spoke to Miss Miller."
The air turned dangerously still.
For the first time since arriving, Beatrice realized why powerful men feared Dominic Romano.
He never threatened.
He simply decided.
And the world adjusted.
Cassandra took one furious step forward.
"You'll regret this."
"No."
"You'll never find another woman like me."
Dominic finally looked directly into her eyes.
"I hope not."
Her face went white.
She snatched her designer handbag from the console table and stormed toward the entrance.
Halfway there she stopped beside Beatrice.
"So congratulations."
She leaned close enough for Beatrice to smell expensive perfume.
"Enjoy pretending this is a fairy tale."
Her smile became poisonous.
"When men like Dominic Romano are finished using women like you..."
"...they don't leave anything behind."
Then she walked out.
The enormous front doors slammed shut.
Silence returned.
Beatrice's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"I..."
"I think I should leave too."
Dominic answered immediately.
"No."
She blinked.
"I already ruined your floor."
"It can be cleaned."
"I embarrassed everyone."
"I've seen worse."
"I'm clearly not the kind of nanny you expected."
His expression remained unreadable.
"No."
"I'm exactly the nanny my son chose."
The words stunned every employee nearby.
Not because Dominic had hired someone.
Because he admitted Leo had chosen.
Mrs. Alvarez quietly wiped tears from her eyes.
For two endless years she had watched little Leo drift deeper into silence after losing his mother in the mysterious yacht explosion that newspapers still whispered about.
Dozens of specialists had failed.
Psychologists.
Speech experts.
Private tutors.
Animal therapists.
Musicians.
Even Disney performers had spent weekends inside the Romano estate.
Nothing worked.
Until one clumsy woman spilled coffee.
Beatrice looked at Leo.
"What if he only smiled because I made a mess?"
Dominic answered without hesitation.
"Then tomorrow..."
"...make another mess."
For the first time that day...
Beatrice laughed.
It escaped before she could stop it.
A genuine laugh.
Soft.
Awkward.
Completely unplanned.
Leo watched her.
Then—
Another smile.
This one lasted longer.
A tiny giggle escaped his lips.
The sound was so faint that most people would have missed it.
But Dominic heard it.
His entire body went still.
His son...
Had laughed.
Only for a second.
But after two years of unbearable silence...
One second felt like a miracle.
Dominic slowly knelt beside Leo.
"Buddy..."
His voice cracked for the first time in years.
"Can you show Miss Miller your playroom?"
Leo didn't answer.
Instead...
He reached up.
Not for his father.
For Beatrice.
Wrapping his tiny fingers around hers.
Then, without looking back...
He began leading her toward the grand staircase.
Beatrice glanced nervously over her shoulder.
"Mr. Romano..."
"I haven't even had my interview."
Dominic watched his son climbing the stairs with the woman who had accomplished the impossible in less than five minutes.
His answer came quietly.
"The interview ended..."
"...the moment my son smiled."
Neither of them noticed the security camera mounted high above the foyer.
Its tiny red recording light blinked steadily.
From somewhere outside the estate...
Another pair of eyes was already watching the footage.
May you like
And whoever they belonged to...
Did not want Leo Romano smiling again.
