The Mafia Boss and the Maid — Part 3
The Mafia Boss and the Maid — Part 3
Three days passed.
For the first time in years, Dominic Gallow’s mansion felt strangely peaceful.
Linda still worked every morning.
She still pushed her cleaning cart through the marble corridors.
She still spoke softly.
But something had changed.
She smiled more often.
Not much.
Just enough for Dominic to notice.
And Dominic noticed everything.
He would see her checking her phone between chores.
Every time she received a message from the hospital, her face changed.
Sometimes she smiled.
Sometimes she cried.
And every time she smiled, Dominic felt something unfamiliar in his chest.
He didn’t know what to call it.
So he called it nothing.
On Friday morning, Linda entered the kitchen carrying a tray of coffee.
She placed Dominic’s cup beside him.
“Your coffee, sir.”
Dominic looked up.
“How is he?”
Linda froze.
“Kio?”
Dominic nodded.
She smiled.
“He’s doing better.”
For a moment, the entire room became quiet.
“The doctors started the treatment yesterday.”
“Good.”
Linda studied him.
“Why do you keep asking about him?”
Dominic looked back at his newspaper.
“Because I was curious.”
She smiled faintly.
“You don’t seem like a curious man.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why?”
Dominic didn’t answer.
Linda turned to leave.
“Linda.”
She stopped.
“Yes?”
He hesitated.
“How old is he?”
“Seven.”
“His father?”
Her smile disappeared.
“He isn’t around.”
“Dead?”
Linda shook her head.
“Worse.”
Dominic looked up.
She continued quietly.
“He left.”
Something cold moved through Dominic.
“He knew you were pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“And he left anyway?”
Linda nodded.
“He said a child would ruin his life.”
Dominic’s fingers tightened around his coffee cup.
Linda noticed.
“Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re angry.”
Dominic’s expression remained unreadable.
“I’m not angry.”
Linda gave him a sad smile.
“You are.”
She walked away.
Dominic watched her disappear around the corner.
Then his phone rang.
His security chief.
“Boss.”
“Talk.”
“We found the man behind the hospital surveillance.”
Dominic stood.
“Who?”
“His name is Vincent Moretti.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“Moretti himself?”
“No. His younger brother.”
Dominic walked toward the window.
“Why is he interested in Linda?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Then find out.”
“We did.”
A pause.
“Linda used to work for the Moretti family.”
Dominic went completely still.
“What?”
“Before she came to you.”
His voice became colder.
“How long?”
“About eight months.”
“Doing what?”
“Cleaning.”
Dominic stared at the city.
“Why did she leave?”
The security chief hesitated.
“Because she stole something.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“We don’t know.”
“Find out.”
The call ended.
Dominic stood motionless.
Linda had worked for Moretti.
She had left suddenly.
Then she had come to him.
Now the Morettis were watching her.
And they knew about Kio.
There was only one explanation.
The boy wasn’t simply a weakness.
He was connected to something much bigger.
That evening, Dominic returned to the mansion earlier than usual.
Linda was in the laundry room.
She looked up when he entered.
“Mr. Gallow?”
“Sit.”
She frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I have questions.”
Her face tightened.
“About what?”
“Your previous employer.”
Linda went pale.
“The Morettis.”
Silence.
Dominic watched her carefully.
“You worked for them.”
Linda lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never asked.”
“I ask when I need information.”
“And did you need it?”
Dominic stepped closer.
“Apparently.”
Linda looked frightened.
“I didn’t betray you.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“But that’s what you’re thinking.”
Dominic studied her.
“Tell me what happened.”
Linda shook her head.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because people will get hurt.”
“People always get hurt.”
She looked at him.
“That’s easy for you to say.”
The words hung in the air.
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
Linda immediately regretted them.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“Don’t apologize.”
She looked confused.
“Just tell me the truth.”
Linda took a deep breath.
“The Morettis wanted me to steal something.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What ledger?”
“I don’t know what was inside.”
“Then why did they want it?”
“Because it belonged to someone they were afraid of.”
“Who?”
Linda shook her head.
“They never told me.”
Dominic stared at her.
“And you refused?”
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
Linda’s eyes filled with tears.
“They threatened Kio.”
The room went silent.
Dominic understood immediately.
“You left because they threatened your son.”
“Yes.”
“Then how did you get away?”
Linda swallowed.
“I stole the ledger.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“You stole it?”
“I took it before they could.”
“Where is it?”
Linda looked directly at him.
“I don’t have it anymore.”
“Who does?”
She hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Dominic knew she was hiding something.
But before he could push further, the mansion lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Linda gasped.
Dominic immediately reached beneath his jacket.
His gun was in his hand.
“Stay behind me.”
A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.
Linda screamed.
Dominic pulled her against the wall.
Another shot.
Then another.
His security team shouted from the hallway.
“INTRUDERS!”
Dominic moved.
Fast.
He pushed Linda toward the service corridor.
“Run.”
“But—”
“RUN!”
She obeyed.
Dominic stepped into the darkness.
Three armed men entered the hallway.
They didn’t get far.
Within seconds, Dominic’s security team engaged them.
Gunfire shattered the silence.
Then everything stopped.
Dominic stood in the hallway, breathing steadily.
“Check every room.”
His chief nodded.
“Boss…”
“What?”
“We found something.”
He handed Dominic a small envelope.
Dominic opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Linda.
Kio.
And a handwritten message.
YOU CAN’T PROTECT WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.
Dominic stared at the photograph.
Then he noticed something else.
A second piece of paper.
An address.
His eyes narrowed.
It was the address of St. Jude’s County General.
And beneath it were four words:
THE BOY KNOWS EVERYTHING.
Dominic’s blood ran cold.
He immediately called the hospital.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
“Get the car.”
His chief ran toward the garage.
Dominic turned.
“Where’s Linda?”
No one answered.
His expression changed.
“Find her.”
They searched the mansion.
The kitchen.
The bedrooms.
The basement.
The garage.
Nothing.
Linda was gone.
Then Dominic noticed the back door.
It was open.
Rain poured into the hallway.
On the wet floor lay a single object.
Linda’s phone.
Dominic picked it up.
The screen was cracked.
One new message appeared.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT HER ALIVE.
Dominic stared at the words.
For years, his enemies had tried to manipulate him.
They had threatened his businesses.
His money.
His life.
They had never succeeded.
But now they had taken Linda.
And Dominic finally understood the cruel truth.
The moment he allowed himself to care about someone, the world discovered exactly where to put the knife.
He closed his hand around the phone.
“Boss,” his security chief said carefully, “we should call the police.”
Dominic looked at him.
“No.”
“But—”
“No police.”
He walked toward the garage.
“Get me the black sedan.”
“You’re going alone?”
Dominic stopped.
For a moment, his old self returned.
Cold.
Ruthless.
Deadly.
“No.”
He looked at the photograph of Kio.
“I’m going to bring her home.”
Then he got into the car.
The engine roared.
And somewhere in the city, Linda sat alone in a dark room, staring at the man standing across from her.
Vincent Moretti smiled.
“You should never have trusted Dominic Gallow.”
Linda’s hands trembled.
“I don’t.”
Vincent laughed.
“Then why did he spend $2.5 million saving your son?”
Linda froze.
“What?”
Vincent leaned closer.
“You really thought that hospital miracle was a coincidence?”
Her eyes widened.
“You have no idea who your new employer really is.”
Linda whispered:
“Then tell me.”
Vincent smiled.
“Ask Dominic.”
At that exact moment, Dominic’s phone rang.
He answered.
A familiar voice came through the speaker.
“Hello, Mr. Gallow.”
Dominic recognized it immediately.
Vincent Moretti.
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“If you touch her—”
“Relax.”
Vincent laughed.
“I don’t want her.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“Then what do you want?”
A pause.
“I want what she stole.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“The ledger.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is it?”
Vincent smiled.
“Ask Linda.”
The call ended.
Dominic stared at the phone.
Then he understood.
Linda hadn’t been protecting herself.
She hadn’t even been protecting Kio.
She had been protecting a secret powerful enough to make two mafia families go to war.
And Dominic was already driving straight into the middle of it.
