AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ana and I have been struggling to fill the vacancies in our home. It’s hard to find people you trust.”
“Very true.” Auntie sighed in commiseration. “We went through a grueling process here to place all our current staff. But it was worth it. Father always says the staff is the backbone of the house, the ones who do the hard work so the Mancini name can shine. That’s why I only hire the best.”
“Do you?” he asked silkily.
A thread of danger laced his words.
Ana coughed uncomfortably, wondering if she’d imagined it, but nothing in his expression gave him away. Equally unaware, her aunt nodded confidently. “Our staff have been working in the Family for generations and came to us highly recommended.”
“Oh? We could use some of those recommendations,” Gio said contemplatively. “Anyone in the New York area who could help us?”
“I’m not sure in New York,” she mused, pulling out her phone to check. “But here, I always rely on Claudio.”
Vitello?
Oh, no.
Ana internally groaned, knowing how thrilled Gio was to hear of him again. But Gio simply listened diplomatically while Auntie gushed, “He’s been such a good friend of the family and has had hundreds of employees work at his company over the years, so he always has good referrals.”
She was laying it on a bit thick, likely due to Grandfather’s demands to salvage his friend’s business. I don’t care what you say. Just convince Ana to take up Vitello’s case with Gio. Her aunt had no idea that Ana had overheard their argument the night of the gala. Nor did she know that Ana had shared the gist of it with Gio as well.
Ana averted her eyes guiltily.
“I’ll talk with Vitello.” Gio thanked her coolly. “Our need is more for guards at the moment, not so much administrative staff. Not sure if he’ll know anyone for that–”
“Oh, he will!” Auntie insisted enthusiastically. “Almost all of our guards were referred to us by Claudio.”
Gio sat back, wiping his lips with the napkin. A satisfied look on his face. “Good to know.”
After their late lunch was cleared out, he excused himself to take some calls outside in the vast backyard.
The morning clouds had faded, revealing a beautiful summer afternoon. The weather, it seemed, was mirroring her mood. Sunlight filled the entire house with warmth and brightness, pouring through every window. It breathed fresh life into the day.
Ana was tempted to go out and join Gio. It had been so long since she’d felt the sun on her face.
“Isn’t this great?”
She turned questioningly to her aunt, who was still beaming.
“The Don seems happy with how everything turned out,” Auntie said, letting out a relieved sigh. “He’s usually stingy with his praise, but he was so generous today, even asking for staff referrals.” She clasped her hands together happily as if she’d won the lottery.
“You pulled off a miracle,” Ana said sincerely. This type of scandal could ruin anyone’s life permanently, especially in a conservative and close-knit community like theirs. But her aunt had leveraged all her resources and connections to find the perpetrator and execute a solution.
Ana touched the older woman’s arm gratefully.
They walked out of the dining room and into the hall.
“This is what I always hoped for our family. To be of value to the Family and prove our leadership. When we’re given a chance, even if it’s challenging, we should grab it and use it to come out on top. That’s the Mancini power.”
Ana nodded. Her aunt had always been strong-willed and persistent, even in times of hardship. Instead of letting the scandal cow her, Auntie had used it as motivation to prove herself.
If only Ana had that strength.
Stop it. She quickly brushed off the disparaging thought. It had hardly been two days since the rumors started. Yes, she’d wallowed in her feelings and indulged in self-pity. But there was nothing wrong with that. Most people deserved a moment to be weak and recover from such a hit. Why didn’t she?
“Nothing to worry about now.” Auntie assessed her with a frown. “I told you I would take care of it, didn’t I?”
“Yes. Thank you–again. Really, I–”
