Chapter 10 - THE SILVER KEY
Two months passed.
Spring came to New York, melting the snow and washing the streets clean.
Life changed rapidly. With Dante’s anonymous financial backing, my father bought back my mother’s old dry-cleaning storefront in Queens. But it wasn't a dry cleaner anymore. It was a boutique bespoke tailoring shop.
My mother was healthy, recovering perfectly after receiving a kidney transplant from a donor Dante’s foundation had miraculously located.
I was standing behind the mahogany counter of our new shop, pinning a hem on a beautiful wool suit, when the bell above the door chimed.
I didn't look up immediately. “Welcome to Vargas Tailors. I’ll be right with you.”
“Take your time, Nora.”
The deep, rich voice made my heart skip a beat.
I looked up. Dante Russo was standing in the doorway.
He wasn't surrounded by bodyguards. He wasn't wearing an armored coat. He wore a simple navy blazer, looking relaxed, tanned, and impossibly handsome.
“Mr. Russo,” I breathed, setting down my pins.
“Dante,” he corrected, walking toward the counter. “I believe we’re past formalities.”
I wiped my hands on my apron, suddenly nervous. “What are you doing here? I thought you moved to Europe.”
“I did. For a while. To dismantle the overseas accounts.” He leaned against the counter. “But I missed the city.”
He reached into his pocket and placed an object on the glass counter.
A heavy, antique silver key.
“What is this?” I asked.
“It’s the key to the executive suite of the Russo Foundation,” Dante said. “We manage legitimate charities now. Urban renewal, medical grants. I need someone to run the operations.”
I stared at the key. It was an incredible offer. A life-changing salary. Safety.
I looked around my family’s shop. The smell of steam and fresh cotton. The sound of my father humming in the back room.
I slowly pushed the key back across the counter.
“It’s a beautiful offer, Dante. But I’m not an executive.” I smiled, feeling a deep sense of pride. “I’m a tailor.”
Dante looked at the key, then at me. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face.
“I hoped you would say that,” he murmured.
May you like
He picked up the key and put it away. “In that case, I have a different proposal.”
He stepped closer to the counter, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “I need a new suit. I heard this is the best shop in the city.”
