Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the BossMidnight at Castellano Manor belonged to Victor.
Iris had stayed late in the industrial kitchen, finishing the inventory for the weekly produce delivery, when the heavy front doors swung open. A blast of freezing Chicago wind swept into the foyer, carrying the scent of melting snow, ozone, and expensive bourbon.
Victor Castellano shrugged off a black cashmere overcoat, handing it to an attendant without a word. He looked exhausted. The sharp planes of his face were carved in fatigue, a thin white scar across his left eyebrow stark against his pale skin.
He caught sight of Iris standing near the pantry doors. He stopped dead in his tracks, his dark eyes locking onto hers with the weight of a physical blow.
"You're the new girl," Victor said. His voice was a low, gravelly baritone that vibrated through the floorboards.
"Iris Day, Mr. Castellano. I'm part of the domestic staff."
Victor stepped closer, closing the distance between them with unnerving speed. Up close, he was towering, radiating a dark, controlled danger that made every instinct in Iris's body scream run.
"Croft tells me you haven't cried, you haven't complained, and you haven't tried to sneak into the executive wing to leave notes on my desk like the others," Victor said, his gaze dropping momentarily to the faded bruise on her wrist before snapping back to her eyes. "Why are you here, Miss Day? Forty-seven dollars in tips and a pair of taped sneakers doesn't survive a winter on the North Side by accident."
Iris didn't flinch. She met his intimidating gaze head-on, remembering the forty-eight thousand dollar debt hanging over her head like a guillotine blade.
"I'm here because I need a paycheck that clears, Mr. Castellano," Iris said, her voice steady and clear. "And you need someone to clean your house who isn't terrified of the dust."
A slow, humorless smirk touched the corner of Victor's mouth. He leaned in just an inch closer.
May you like
"Be careful what you ask for, Iris. In this house, everything has a price. And some debts can only be paid in blood."
With that, he turned on his heel and strode up the grand staircase toward the dark silence of the family wing.
