Chapter 3 - The Unspoken Rules
By mid-afternoon, the sun had finally broken through the grey clouds over Lake Michigan, casting long shafts of golden light through the high arched windows of the estate's conservatory.
The conservatory was the one room in the house that didn't feel entirely dead. It was filled with sprawling tropical ferns, blooming orchids, and tall glass walls that looked out over the stone courtyard.
Andrea sat on a woven rug on the floor, surrounded by a dozen wooden building blocks. A few feet away, Leo and Luca sat cross-legged, quietly stacking blocks into small, neat towers. They still hadn't uttered a single word, but their silence was no longer violent or panicked. It was a watchful, cautious quiet.
Every few minutes, Leo would look up from his blocks to check if Andrea was still there. Each time, she gave him a small nod and a smile, continuing to read her book or assemble her own clumsy wooden structure.
"You're doing it wrong," a voice sneered from the doorway.
Andrea looked up.
A young man in his late twenties stood near the entrance, leaning casually against a stone pillar. He wore a sharp suit, but his tie was loosened, and his eyes had a cruel, restless glint. He looked enough like Enzo to be family, but lacked the older man's commanding dignity.
"I'm sorry?" Andrea asked, setting her book down.
"The tower," the man said, strolling into the room with his hands in his pockets. He didn't look at the boys; he looked at Andrea with an uncomfortable, sweeping gaze. "You're building the base too narrow. It's going to collapse."
The twins immediately froze. Leo pulled his hands back from his blocks, his shoulders rising toward his ears. Luca shifted closer to Andrea's side.
"They like it this way," Andrea said calmly, standing up. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Julian Marino," he said, offering a tight, arrogant smirk. "Enzo's cousin. I run the distribution side of the business in the South Loop." He glanced down at the boys with obvious disinterest. "I see my cousin finally found a nanny who doesn't run away screaming. How much is he paying you?"
"That's between Mr. Marino and myself," Andrea replied, stepping subtly between Julian and the children.
Julian stepped closer, invading her personal space. He smelled of stale cognac and expensive cologne. "You shouldn't get too comfortable here, sweetheart. This house has a habit of swallowing people whole. The last girl thought she was special, too. Then a sniper took out the back windshield of her car on Route 41 just to send Enzo a message."
Andrea felt a cold shock run down her spine, but she kept her face completely devoid of emotion. "If you have business with Mr. Marino, I believe his office is in the West Wing."
Julian's smirk vanished, replaced by an ugly flick of annoyance. "Watch your tone, girl. You're a servant here. You don't tell me where to walk."
He reached out, his hand moving toward Andrea's arm as if to push her aside.
Before his fingers could touch her sleeve, a loud, metallic clink echoed from the arched doorway behind them.
Gus, the massive driver with the scar through his eyebrow, stood in the frame. He was holding a heavy silver tray with fresh tea, but his eyes were locked onto Julian with absolute, lethal stillness.
"Mr. Julian," Gus said, his voice like grinding stones. "Mr. Marino is waiting for you in the study. He said if you are late for the briefing, he will reassign the South Loop accounts to Marco."
Julian's face went pale. The arrogance drained out of him in an instant, replaced by a flash of genuine fear. He pulled his hand back from Andrea, straightened his jacket, and cleared his throat.
"Tell him I'm on my way," Julian muttered, shooting one last dark look at Andrea before hurrying past Gus into the corridor.
Gus watched him go until the sound of his footsteps died away. Then, he walked into the conservatory, setting the tea tray down on a low glass table.
"Thank you, Gus," Andrea said softly, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Gus didn't look at her directly. He reached down and adjusted a small potted fern near the door. "Julian is a snake," he said in a low voice. "He talks big when the boss isn't in the room. Don't let him back in this wing."
"Does he do that often? Threaten people?"
"He tests boundaries," Gus replied, turning his hard eyes toward her. "The boss doesn't like snakes in his house, but family is complicated in our business. Just stay close to the boys, Miss Hayes. As long as you're with them, no one in this house will dare touch you."
"Why?" Andrea asked. "Because Enzo would fire them?"
Gus gave a short, humorless bark of laughter. "Fire them? Miss Hayes, if anyone lays a hand on those boys—or anyone protecting them—the boss wouldn't fire them. He'd bury them under the foundation of the new stadium in West Chicago."
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He turned and walked away, leaving Andrea standing in the bright sunlight of the conservatory.
She looked down at the floor. Leo had quietly reached over and added three more blocks to her fragile wooden tower, carefully widening its base so it wouldn't fall.
