“Scandal? What scandal?”
“They don’t know who ran her off the road. Why keep something like that quiet? I say something fishy is going on.”
“You don’t know that. You can’t just go around damaging people’s names for gossip.”
Peter throws his hands in the air. “Hey, I’m only sharing what I heard. I meant nothing by it,” he says.
“Well, brush your resume up for a new job, not a promotion if you’re going to spread speculations. A part of the job is discretion.”
“Izzy—” I glare at him. I don’t care if he knows my alter ego from my channel. At work, I’m Lizzy. I haven’t made friends with anyone here to make them comfortable enough to call me Izzy.
“I’m sorry. Lizzy. I meant no harm. You didn’t know, so I thought I was sharing something you needed to know.”
“It is my job to know Mr. Di Lorenzo’s schedule. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“I hope this doesn’t keep me from getting hired full-time. I…I also sort of wanted to ask you out sometime. Me and my big mouth.”
“I don’t date coworkers. And as I’m only the schedule keeper, I have nothing to do with hiring. If you don’t mind, I need to find out if I even work here anymore.”
I march off without taking a glance back. I shouldn’t have been so short with Peter, but my heart is breaking for Bella. Her mother was taken from her. The poor little thing has been so starved for attention from her mom, now she will never get it.
I pause outside of Gio’s office and swipe at the tears that slide down my cheeks. I take a calming breath before I tap at the door. A muffled voice comes through the barrier.
I turn the knob and stick my head in. Gio sits behind his desk. I peek in farther and find Jace. He gives me a nod.
“Come on in, Lizzy,” Gio says as he flips through papers on his desk.
“Did you fire me?”
“No.” Gio chuckles. “My brother wants to promote you. Current circumstances will call for a new type of assistant. A position I can’t fill for him myself. We both thought you would be the best fit.”
“Fit for what exactly?”
“Dante will need a live-in, traveling, executive assistant who can help balance his office life and help with Bella as she adjusts to the changes.”
“A nanny? Doesn’t she already have a few of those?”
“Yes, she does, but none of them have your skills. You probably haven’t heard, but Bethany was murdered. We don’t know by who. My brother now has to worry about the safety of his family. You’re the best choice for this.”
“So, he knows about me?”
“No, I’ve continued to omit this fact. He knows I trust you and that I feel Bella will be safe and cared for around you.”
He steeples his fingers in front of his mouth and sits back in his chair. I roll my shoulders. It’s always been understood that I would be activated in Dante’s life. However, I’ve never known what for or why.
“Are you sure he will be okay with who I am when he finds out?”
“He will have to be. Honestly, the only reason he hasn’t figured it out already is because he’s been under so much emotional stress.”
I snort. “And because I look nothing like what I am. Why me, Gio? Why not Nyla or one of your own?”
“I know every one of my dolls for who they are and what they are capable of. I didn’t possess a doll fit for Dante before you. You have come to know me. You know I have a plan for my plans. You’re perfect for my plans concerning Dante and Bella. This situation only makes everything more convenient.”
I sag my shoulders. I knew this was coming, so why am I so…I can’t explain it.
“Have a seat. I need to know how we make this convenient for you. What do you need to keep your business running and to fulfill your contract? I’m a man of my word. You will have both. I know the sacrifices made to do this for me.”
I lick my dry lips. I’m going to be living with Dante. We should start with a chastity belt or at least a vibrator and a lifetime supply of batteries.
I shake that thought away. Nothing has changed, he’s my charge, therefore, he’s off-limits. Not to mention, the man is grieving and has his little girl to worry about.
“I need a space to game. I’ll need a rig to play and record. You’ve seen my setup.
“Someplace to keep my products for when I need to push them live. I game at night, that has to be okay. If I’m going to travel, I need to be able to create content on the go. Lighting, cams everything to keep up to standards with my channel’s quality of content. You make that happen, I can do what you ask.”