The elevator doors slid open directly into the penthouse at 111 River Street.

My palms were sweating against the fabric of my cheap polyester uniform.

The air inside smelled of expensive beeswax polish and cold marble.

I had three overdue hospital notices for my mother’s chemotherapy sitting in my purse.

That was the only reason I was here.

The salary Matteo DeLuca offered for a nanny was three times the city average.

It was enough to keep my mother alive.

A woman with a tight grey bun and an immaculate black dress stood waiting for me.

Her eyes ran down my worn shoes with immediate distaste.

“I am Mrs. Higgins, the head housekeeper,” she said.

Her voice was dry and sharp, like snapping twigs.

“You will refer to me as such.”

“Yes, Mrs. Higgins,” I said.

“I’m Cameron Jenkins.”

“I know who you are,” she said, turning on her heel.

“Follow me. The master does not tolerate lateness, nor does he tolerate incompetence.”

She led me through a massive living room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outside, the Manhattan skyline was shrouded in gray November rain.

Inside, everything was pristine, quiet, and dead.

“The boy is three,” Mrs. Higgins said as we walked down a long, carpeted hallway.

“He does not speak. He has… episodes.”

She stopped outside a heavy mahogany door and turned to me.

“Do not baby him. Do not question the routine. Your job is simply to keep him quiet.”

She pushed the door open.

The room was filled with expensive wooden toys, but they were all piled in the corners, untouched.

A small boy sat on the floor, staring at a blank wall.

His skin was a sickly translucent white, with dark circles bruised under his eyes.

This was Leo DeLuca.

When he heard the door, his small body stiffened, and he let out a low, ragged whimper.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind us.

I turned and felt my breath catch in my throat.

Matteo DeLuca walked into the room.

He wore a tailored charcoal suit that emphasized his broad shoulders.

His face was strikingly handsome, but his dark eyes were cold, carrying the weight of the city’s criminal underworld.