☆Chapter 9 – The Devil’s Worst Nightmare☆

Lorenzo De Luca prided himself on his ability to control everything.

His men.

His business.

His enemies.

Everything.

But now…

He couldn't even control one tiny girl.

☆☆☆

Seraphina, The Menace

Seraphina had recovered.

Fully.

Her once frail body, weakened by the poison, was now full of energy.

Too much energy.

Lorenzo stood by the large window of his study, watching her from afar.

Seraphina was running.

Again.

Chasing after butterflies.

Jumping over flower beds.

Weaving through the guards who were trying and failing to keep up with her.

Lorenzo's jaw clenched.

"She's supposed to be resting."

"She was."

Lorenzo didn't have to turn to know who was speaking.

Matteo.

His ever-loyal right-hand man.

"Was." Lorenzo repeated, his voice dripping with frustration.

Matteo's tone was far too neutral for Lorenzo's liking.

"She's a child, sir. They don't stay still."

Lorenzo's eye twitched.

"This isn't a child." His gaze narrowed as he watched Seraphina do a backflip off a low wall.

"This… is a menace."

☆☆☆

"Sir," Matteo's tone was laced with amusement, though his face remained impassive, "perhaps you should be… proud?"

Lorenzo's gaze snapped toward him.

"Proud?"

Matteo's lips twitched.

"She's agile. Smart. Quick."

Lorenzo's jaw clenched harder.

"She's a flight risk."

Matteo blinked.

"Sir, with all due respect… she's an eight-year-old girl."

Lorenzo didn't blink.

"Exactly."

Matteo's stoic expression cracked—just a little.

"Sir… are you saying you're losing control… over a child?"

Lorenzo's gaze was like ice.

"I control empires, Matteo."

Matteo nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"I control men who would rather slit their own throats than disobey me."

"Of course, sir."

"And yet…" Lorenzo's jaw clenched as he watched Seraphina disappear behind a corner, out of sight.

"I can't control her."

Matteo didn't respond immediately.

But the silence spoke volumes.

"…I see."

☆☆☆

Lorenzo exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How long has it been?"

Matteo glanced at his watch.

"Two minutes."

Lorenzo's gaze darkened.

"She's gone."

"Sir, she's probably just—"

"Gone, Matteo."

Lorenzo stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor as he turned toward the door.

"Find her."

Matteo didn't move.

"…Sir."

Lorenzo's jaw clenched.

Matteo's tone was laced with barely contained amusement.

"She's… right there."

Lorenzo froze.

Slowly…

He turned back toward the window.

And there she was.

Seraphina.

Hanging upside down from a tree branch.

Her hair fell around her face, a wide grin on her lips as she swung back and forth.

Lorenzo stared.

What the hell?

☆☆☆

"Seraphina."

Lorenzo's tone was low, dangerous.

Seraphina blinked, still hanging upside down.

"Sir?"

Lorenzo's eye twitched.

"Get down."

"Why?"

"Now."

Seraphina tilted her head, her expression innocent.

"Am I in trouble?"

Lorenzo's jaw clenched.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Matteo, standing beside him, coughed.

Lorenzo shot him a look.

But Matteo…

Refused to meet his gaze.

Coward.

"Seraphina," Lorenzo's voice dropped lower, his patience wearing thin.

"Now."

Seraphina blinked once.

Then—

"Catch me."

"What—"

Before Lorenzo could even process what was happening, Seraphina let go.

Lorenzo's reflexes kicked in immediately.

He lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Seraphina grinned up at him, completely unfazed.

"You caught me."

Lorenzo stared down at her, his heart pounding against his ribs.

"That's not the point."

"But you did."

"Seraphina."

Her grin widened.

Lorenzo…

Was losing his mind.

☆☆☆

Fatherhood was not pqrt of his mafia vocabulary. Lorenzo set her down gently, his expression cold but his grip far too careful.

"You can't keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Everything."

Seraphina blinked. "But I'm fine."

"That's not the point."

Lorenzo's jaw clenched as he took a step back, his eyes narrowing.

"You're too…" He searched for the right word.

Reckless.

Fearless.

"Fast."

Seraphina tilted her head. "You don't like that?"

Lorenzo's lips pressed into a thin line.

"I like you alive."

Seraphina blinked again.

Then—

"Oh."

For once…

She was quiet.

☆☆☆

Matteo has no mercy. Lorenzo exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face.

"Grounded."

Seraphina's eyes widened. "Again?!"

"Indefinitely."

"What?!"

Matteo coughed.

Lorenzo didn't miss the way his right-hand man's lips twitched with suppressed amusement.

"Something to say, Matteo?"

Matteo's face was unreadable.

"Nothing, sir."

Lorenzo's gaze narrowed.

"Say it."

Matteo's lips twitched again.

"…With all due respect, sir…"

A pause.

"You're losing."

Lorenzo's eye twitched violently.

"Matteo."

Matteo's expression didn't change.

But the amusement in his eyes was impossible to miss.

"She's winning, sir."

Lorenzo glared.

"Get out."

Matteo gave a mock bow.

"As you wish."

And as Matteo walked away…

Lorenzo could feel the barely contained laughter following him out the door.

☆☆☆

Lorenzo turned back to Seraphina, who was watching him with wide, innocent eyes.

Too innocent.

"No more climbing."

"Okay."

"No more running."

"Sure."

"No more sneaking around."

Seraphina's lips twitched.

"Of course."

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.

"Seraphina."

"Hmm?"

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

Lorenzo stared at her.

She stared back.

A long silence.

Then—

"Grounded."

"Again?!"

Lorenzo turned away, his jaw clenched so tightly it could crack.

She's going to kill him

And for the first time in his life…

Lorenzo De Luca the devil himself was afraid.

Because he wasn't fighting a rival mafia family.

He was fighting Seraphina.

And she was winning.