Secret Baby Wedding Scandal (Evil Empires Book 2) Read online

  Secret Baby Wedding Scandal

  Daniella Wright

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Felix

  2. Zoe

  3. Felix

  4. Zoe

  5. Felix

  6. Zoe

  7. Felix

  8. Zoe

  9. Felix

  10. Zoe

  11. Felix

  12. Zoe

  13. Felix

  14. Zoe

  15. Felix

  16. Zoe

  17. Felix

  18. Zoe

  19. Felix

  20. Zoe

  21. Felix

  22. Zoe

  Epilogue

  More By Dany

  Her Double Punishment

  Prologue

  Zoe

  The exterior of the Milano estate looked like any other wealthy Argentinian family’s home. It was white with black shutters, well maintained with gardens and manicured landscaping all around it, and there was a bustle of workers constantly flowing all around the grounds. I heard rumors that Felix Milano’s manor paled in comparison to that of his brother’s - Alberto Milano. But since Alberto’s home was shrouded in secrecy, its location never known to lowly people like myself unless we were employed there, it was hard to imagine that it could be more impressive than the place I was about to walk into.

  But of course, while either mansion might pass as a typical old money family home, I knew that it wasn’t. The Milanos were essentially crime lords, and they had a reputation for being ruthless and heartless in all things. I told myself it made no difference. Housekeepers and attendants were all treated the same by their wealthy employers, which was basically like slaves. Whether I worked for a banker or a politician or a gangster, my daily life would be the same. At least that’s what I said to talk myself into showing up for the interview.

  I took a deep breath and started for the front door. A butler swung it open before I could even knock and demanded to know who I was in a brisk, unfriendly tone.

  “Zoe Fernandez,” I smiled politely. “I’m here to interview with Magda for the housemaid position.”

  The tall man in his tux looked me up and down with a smirk, as if he knew many things I did not about how I might fit into the Milano residence. He seemed unimpressed and foreboding in a “suit yourself” sort of way, but he stepped aside and showed me in. I half expected to hear him say “enter at your own risk.”

  “Wait here,” he ordered just inside the foyer. “And, senorita, I do mean wait here. If you let your curiosity get the better of you and start snooping around, the interview will be canceled and you will be thrown out.”

  “Sí señor. Thank you.” I nodded and planted my feet firmly in place, clasping my hands in front of me as I waited patiently.

  I expected Magda to be a robust, old hag of a woman as most house managers were. But instead, a very tall and thin woman breezed in. She was worn in a way that told you she had been doing rough jobs like this, and maybe even tougher ones at some point, for her whole life. Underneath all of the lines on her face and the wear and tear on her skin, I could see she was once very young and beautiful. It was hard to tell if she was actually old at all, or if the work had just aged her beyond her years.

  “Senorita Fernandez, I am Magda,” she smiled tightly and spoke in a deep, smooth voice. Then she gave me the same up and down stare the butler just had, also appearing to know something I did not.

  She led me into a sitting room, explaining that if the interview went well, she would show me around the manor. House staff filed in the room behind us, serving trays of tea and snacks. I sipped the tea but didn’t dare to touch the snacks and risk being put on the spot with a question and having to awkwardly chew my way through trying to answer. Once we were settled in, I took small sips from my cup and waited for Magda to begin as she looked over my resume.

  “You have quite the long list of experience,” she noted. “And for very prominent households at that. That’s good. So, you know a thing or two about working for difficult personalities I presume?”

  “Yes, certainly. I have been working in laundry, kitchens, and housekeeping at estates since I was thirteen.”

  “So young,” she marveled.

  “I was…,” I cut away my eyes and cleared my throat. “An orphan, you see. I had to make my own way. But I’ve gained a wealth of experience through the years and all of my references will vouch for that. I keep my head down and work hard, and...as you said, I am accustomed to meeting my employer’s standards.”

  “However peculiar they may be?”

  I smiled and nodded. We were doing a song and dance around the fact that the richer a person was, the crazier they were. And the more they expected their staff to be mind readers. You couldn’t work for the kind of people I did if you were sensitive or cried easily. I was used to being chastised and insulted at least once before noon, especially at a new posting. But I was also very adept at picking up on the subtle and unpredictable expectations of the people I worked for enough to make sure that it almost never happened again.

  I explained all of this to Magda and added, “I have often taken on managing roles in many of my postings. I learn quickly and then pass that on to other newer or less efficient workers to ensure there are less...disruptions in the household.”

  “You position yourself as being essential to the household,” she replied. “Very clever.”

  “I suppose so.” I grinned, feeling pleased with myself.

  The interview appeared to be going well, which I had honestly expected. I was a very coveted worker, especially once someone had checked my references. The only matter in question when it came to this job, so I thought, was whether or not I wanted the position. I had done many things, but working for a crime lord was new territory for me. But the pay was double anything I had ever earned before, and I was not in a position to be picky about my employer’s line of work or their reputation.

  “You remind me of myself when I was younger,” she told me with a certain fondness. “I often take on managing roles around the house as well. I have been working as a house manager here for five years now, but have been on the Milano estate for nearly twenty years. But the demands of Paula Milano have surpassed what I am able to offer at this time. And anyway, I prefer more hands-on work. Something a little more active than babysitting. Make no mistake. Working as a direct housemaid and assistant to the lady of the house is a different sort of job. How do you think you will fare?”

  “While I may have never carried the official title before...I think the duties I have ended up taking on in my postings have been very similar to what Mrs. Milano is looking for.”

  “You would be her companion,” she continued. “The standard for your dress and demeanor is different. Though with your upbringing in these types of households, I don’t think that will be so much of an issue. Whatever she asks, you will do. It’s fairly simple. And a little dull, if you ask me. But it will be easier on you than what you’re used to...Physically, anyway.”

  “I’m confident in my ability to meet her expectations. And yours,” I stated confidently.

  Magda pursed her lips and put down her cup of tea. This was the part of the interview when I would normally be escorted around the premises and then given a job offer. Everything was going well, and she seemed impressed. She told me I reminded her of herself, after all. So, I was not expecting her eyes to darken and for her to lean forward with an air of wanting to put me in my place.

  “Felix Milano is not a typical employer on a normal day,” she said sternly. “And we haven’t had a normal day around here in qui
te some time. Paula is stressed, and so Felix is stressed. And that’s no good for anyone. Can I speak candidly? Or...I guess I should ask...Can you be trusted to keep what I am about to say to yourself no matter what?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Good. That’s another thing you’ll need to get used to. Gossip isn’t tolerated. When Felix is stressed, people die. They die needlessly - a victim of his mood swings. That’s how his line of work goes, and I don’t know how else to put it so you understand. So, you can see why it’s very important to keep Paula happy.”

  I gulped and tried to maintain my composure, but I couldn’t say that I ever explicitly knew that lives might depend on my performance as lowly house staff. I was terrified and intrigued all at once. And also still repeating the pay rate to myself over and over in my head.

  “I understand,” I answered. “I will do everything to ensure Felix’s wife is kept happy. For everyone’s sake.”

  “Ex-wife,” she corrected me. And very calmly so, as if it were the most common sense statement in the world.

  “Excuse me?”

  “They separated months ago. Or at least that’s when they admitted to their troubles openly. You can understand why tensions have been high.”

  “I see,” my brow furrowed. But I didn’t see at all. If they were separated, why would she still live here? And why would he be hiring a new girl to work for her on top of that? Whose sole purpose was to keep her happy?

  But I could tell that my reaction to the peculiarity of the situation mattered a lot to Magda. If I seemed too shocked or appalled, she’d think I wasn’t a good fit. If this was so mind-blowingly scandalous to me, I couldn’t be trusted. I straightened my spine and did my best to act as if she had just told me the sky was blue.

  “There’s more,” she went on once she seemed satisfied with my response. “There’s a contract.”

  “Of course. I would expect nothing less.”

  Her eyes glinted up at me in a pitying sort of way. “Its terms are...unconventional, I must warn you. For all the years I’ve been doing this line of work, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I have no doubt that you will feel the same about it. I can’t go into detail, but if this is intimidating to you...tell me now so we don’t have to waste our time on the next steps.”

  I considered it for a moment. Agreeing to sign a contract I hadn’t even seen yet, especially one that sounded so daunting, wasn’t ideal...to say the least. I tried to imagine the very worst that I could be asked to agree to. I imagined secrets like Felix’s murderous reputation and the scandal of his marriage would all have to be strictly kept. I expected terrible consequences for violating that. But what else? Would I be helping them hide or bury bodies? Cleaning up blood? Cooking human flesh?

  I ran my head through every possible vile thing that could be included in such an “unconventional” contract. In between each possibility, I repeated the pay rate again. I could tell Magda was growing impatient and worried about any confidence she might have in me. Finally, I decided that the worst things I could imagine were probably far from the truth. There was really only one way to find out.

  “I don’t believe that the following steps will be a waste of time. I am not weak-natured, and I don’t expect the contract to be anything I can’t handle.”

  Magda raised her brows and took a final sip of tea, seeming unconvinced. But nonetheless, we moved on to a tour of the grounds. Nothing about that was unusual. She moved and talked fast and expected me to keep up. The house rules and routines were strict. Everyone we passed seemed nervous and eager to please. It was all commonplace for a manor this size.

  “It’s all a bit dizzying at first, Senorita Fernandez,” Magda said with a wave of her hand as we finished. “But you’ll catch on quick, I believe.”

  “Yes, thank you. I believe so too. Should I meet Paula now? To make sure she approves?” Magda laughed at me like I was an idiot. “I assumed since my duties were so intimate and personal...that she’d want to make sure she liked me.”

  “Oh, no!” she sang as her cackling faded. “You will meet Mr. Milano next. He will review the terms of the contract with you if he approves. He decides what is best for Paula.”

  I did my best to hide my uneasiness. Typically in a place like this, run-ins with the head of the house were scattered and random. I wasn’t used to the idea of meeting with him personally before ever even starting work, especially when my job would be for his wife...or ex-wife, not him.

  No wonder their marriage was failing and everyone was so stressed. He didn’t even think his wife could make her own decisions about what was best for her.

  1

  Felix

  My eyes were heavy and tired as I sat at my desk, thinking about how used to this exhaustion I should have been by now. It was a tired, restlessness that set in the moment my fate with Paula was sealed. That was years ago when our family decided this marriage was needed for the sake of our position of wealth and power. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on Paula that we were doomed, but it was my duty to take her as my wife.

  I was a man of particular tastes and desires, and Paula’s sweet nature wrapped in with her boring propriety did nothing to satisfy any of my urges. It was a mostly sexless marriage and it crumbled day by day. I thought by ending things with her that we could both move on and be free. She could hate me if she wanted to, just so long as I got away from her - if not physically, at least mentally.

  The marriage ended, but our arrangement didn’t. She stayed at my estate and was intent on making me and everyone else suffer right along with her. She didn’t even get angry or vengeful, as I had secretly hoped. That would have at least spiced things up a bit. And maybe after seeing that kind of spark in her I would feel inspired to put more effort in. But, no. Not Paula. She just shriveled up in her misery and dissolved away in her tears.

  A knock came to the door, and Magda’s face appeared around the corner. Magda had a long history with this estate, and an even longer one with me. She was older and once upon a time had been a place for me to unleash some of my desires. But it eventually became too much for her. My desires were too dark and ravenous for anything she wanted. She stayed employed with me and did a good job. Even now, I still had a certain fondness for her - even though the years had taken their toll on her. Underneath all of that, you could still see hints of the beauty she once was.

  “Mr. Milano, I have found a candidate for your wife’s new attendant,” she announced. “Shall I show her in?”

  I waved for her to do just that. I had high hopes for this new companion for my wife. I hoped it would help Paula get her head together enough so we could decide what to do next. Paula had no desire to leave the estate, and really I needed her to stay to uphold appearances. Maybe this new girl would give her a boost of confidence. I was willing to try anything to pull her from her hole and to get her to stop trying to drag me down into it with her.

  Magda opened the door fully and stood with her back against it as a young woman stepped inside. My eyes went to her face first. She had piercing hazel eyes that were magnetic and cold, but they instantly lured you in. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful and she moved with a certain confidence I hadn’t seen in a woman since Magda and I’s affair.

  The girl came in and stopped just a few feet away from the edge of my desk. She kept her hands wrung together in her lap and stared at the ground.

  “Sit,” I ordered, and she obeyed quickly. “What’s your name?”

  “Zoe Fernandez.”

  Her voice was deep and pleasing like honey, and it made me want to hear more of it. I couldn’t help but think Paula would be lucky to have this girl by her side every day if it all worked out. I maybe even felt a little jealous, from the look of her alone.

  “Magda must think you have enough experience to handle the job, or you wouldn’t be sitting here now,” I proposed.

  “I do have the necessary experience,” she replied confidently but politely.

 
The entrancing air about her that she carried through the door seemed to be vanishing. Suddenly, she was like a robot - carefully doing and saying all the right things, not daring to look me in the eye. It boded well for how she would fare in the house.

  “And Magda has mentioned the contract?” I slid a piece of paper across the desk. It flew up into the air, leaving the girl scrambling to catch it.

  “She did explain it to me, yes,” Zoe answered as she tightly held the paper and began to read.

  I stood from my seat and began to circle her chair. “There are rules in the house that should not be broken,” I explained. “Behavior that won't be tolerated. For the safety of both the family and the staff. The punishments are laid out before contracting any employees. The punishments will apply regardless of gender.”

  I needed that point to be explicitly clear. Too many times these young girls were so desperate for work and the good pay that they signed their lives away without reading. Then when they violated the rules, they would expect some sort of mercy just because they were a woman. It was despicable. The crimes were the same, so the punishments would be the same. No questions.

  I didn’t need to look at her to know it had her shaking in her boots. She was quiet and concentrated, but I could hear the hard swallows rolling down her throat no matter how she was trying to hide them. But at least she was actually reading the damn thing.

  While in some households, there might have been a need for everyone to behave for the sake of the house running smoothly, at my estate it was about something much more than that. For one, my line of work was somewhat nefarious. I didn’t have time to sneak around in my own house trying to cover up any little wrongdoing that my job required of me. The only way to ensure that I could trust my employees was for their lives to be at stake. It seemed only fair. If they started gossiping about this and that, it would be my life on the line. They needed to know that the penalty for not keeping their mouths shut would be nothing less than the same torture I could expect to endure should the wrong deed get out to the wrong person.