Rain hit the windows of the De Luca mansion loudly.

The large house was dark and cold, almost like nobody lived there anymore.

Years ago, this mansion was filled with people. Guards stood outside every door. Expensive cars entered the gates every night. Men lowered their heads whenever they saw walking through the hallways.

Back then, Lucien ruled the city like a king.

People feared him.

People obeyed him.

Nobody dared to betray him.

But that was years ago.

Now the mansion felt empty.

Lucien sat alone near the window in his wheelchair. One hand rested on the armrest while the other held a glass of whiskey. His sharp face looked tired under the dim light.

Three years ago, everyone feared him.

Now many people laughed at his downfall.

His mafia empire had slowly collapsed after betrayal from his own men. Rival groups stole his businesses one after another. The attack that almost killed him left him unable to walk.

Lucien hated weakness.

And he hated depending on other people even more.

The doctors kept telling him his legs might recover someday, but Lucien stopped believing promises a long time ago.

Especially after losing everything.

Thunder shook the sky outside.

Lucien drank the whiskey slowly before looking around the silent room.

The mansion used to feel alive.

Now it only felt lonely.

No voices.

No music.

No smell of warm food coming from the kitchen late at night.

His jaw tightened immediately.

Because without wanting to, his mind thought about her again.

.

His ex-wife.

The woman he once believed would never leave him.

Elena used to wait for him every night no matter how late he came home. Sometimes she waited until morning just to make sure he ate something.

Even after arguments.

Even after cruel words.

Even after he hurt her.

Lucien closed his eyes for a moment.

Years ago, he thought fear was enough to keep someone beside him.

Now he understood how wrong he was.

A knock suddenly came from the door.

“Come in,” Lucien said coldly.

The old butler entered carefully.

“Sir, the caretaker agency called again.”

Lucien frowned immediately.

“I already told them no.”

The butler stayed quiet for a second before speaking carefully.

“You cannot continue living alone like this, sir.”

Lucien’s expression darkened.

“I said no.”

The butler lowered his head nervously. “I understand.”

But before leaving, the old man stopped near the door.

“She will arrive tomorrow morning.”

Lucien looked at him sharply.

“She?”

“The new caretaker.”

“I never agreed to that.”

“She already accepted the job.”

Lucien laughed coldly.

“Then she wasted her time.”

The butler said nothing more and quietly left the room.

Silence filled the mansion again.

Lucien looked outside at the heavy rain falling beyond the windows.

For the first time in years, the great Lucien De Luca realized something painful.

Power could not stop loneliness.

Money could not buy peace.

And regret came far too late.

Meanwhile, outside the city, Elena sat silently inside a small taxi while holding her daughter’s sleeping body carefully against her shoulder.

Sofia slept peacefully, unaware of where they were going.

Elena looked outside the car window quietly.

Rain covered the streets in darkness.

Her chest slowly tightened the closer they got to the De Luca mansion.

She never wanted to return there again.

That house held too many painful memories.

Too many nights filled with fear.

Too many tears.

But life had become cruel lately.

After her restaurant closed, Elena struggled to pay her mother’s hospital bills alone. She searched everywhere for work, but nothing paid enough.

Then she saw the caretaker offer from the De Luca family.

At first, she threw the paper away.

But in the end, reality won.

Elena looked down at Sofia carefully.

Everything she did now was for her daughter.

Even if it meant returning to the man she once escaped from.

The taxi slowly stopped in front of the large iron gates.

Elena stared at the mansion silently.

Her heart began beating faster.

After all these years…

She was finally coming back.

Chapter 1

A knock came from the door.

slowly looked away from the rain outside the window. The dim light inside his office made the deep lines on his face look even darker.

“Come in,” he said coldly.

The old butler entered carefully. His nervous expression immediately annoyed Lucien.

“Sir, the new caretaker is here.”

Lucien frowned.

“I already said no.”

“She refused to leave.”

Lucien’s jaw tightened. His fingers gripped the armrest of his wheelchair impatiently.

“Then throw her out.”

The butler hesitated.

“Sir… she says she knows you.”

Lucien became silent.

For a moment, only the sound of heavy rain filled the room.

Something about those words felt strange.

A few seconds later, the office door slowly opened.

Lucien’s eyes froze instantly.

stood quietly near the doorway.

His breathing slowed.

“Elena…”

He had not seen her in eight years.

Not since the divorce.

Not since the day she walked out of the mansion without looking back.

She looked different now.

Older.

More mature.

But strangely more beautiful than before.

Her long dark hair rested neatly over her shoulder, and her calm eyes no longer carried the fear he remembered.

That bothered him more than it should have.

“Hello, Lucien,” she said softly.

The room became painfully quiet.

Lucien stared at her carefully, almost wondering if he was imagining her.

Years ago, Elena used to stand in front of him nervously, afraid of making him angry.

Now she simply looked tired.

And distant.

“Why are you here?” he finally asked.

“I came to work.”

“You should leave.”

“I need money.”

Her answer came quickly.

Simple.

Honest.

Lucien looked away for a second.

Somehow, hearing that hurt more than anger would have.

Before he could speak again, he noticed movement behind her.

A little girl slowly stepped closer to Elena before hiding behind her arm.

quietly looked around the large office with nervous eyes.

Lucien stared at the child carefully.

Dark hair.

Small face.

And eyes that strangely felt familiar.

Something uncomfortable twisted inside his chest.

“Who is she?” he asked slowly.

Elena held the little girl’s hand gently.

“My daughter.”

Lucien stayed silent.

The child looked around eight years old. She stayed close to Elena as if she was afraid of everything inside the mansion.

Lucien could not stop looking at her.

The girl reminded him of someone.

But he could not understand why.

Sofia slowly hid behind Elena again after noticing his stare.

“Mom…” she whispered softly.

Elena gently rubbed her daughter’s hand.

“It’s okay.”

Lucien looked away first.

“You brought a child here?”

“She has nowhere else to go.”

The room became silent again.

Outside, thunder shook the sky loudly.

Lucien slowly tightened his hand around the glass beside him.

Three years ago, everyone feared him.

Now he could barely move without help.

His empire was gone.

Most of his men either betrayed him or disappeared after the attack that left him unable to walk.

Everything in his life had fallen apart.

And now the woman he destroyed stood in front of him again.

Lucien looked at Elena carefully.

Years ago, she used to wait for him every night no matter how badly he treated her.

She used to cry easily.

She used to beg him to stop fighting with other mafia families.

But he never listened.

Back then, Lucien believed power was more important than love.

Now the mansion only felt empty.

And for the first time in years, he hated the silence.

The old butler carefully cleared his throat.

“Sir, should I prepare the guest room?”

Lucien stayed quiet for a long moment.

Then finally—

“Do whatever you want.”

Without another word, he turned his wheelchair around and slowly left the office.

Sofia quietly watched him disappear down the dark hallway.

Then she slowly looked up at Elena.

“Mom,” she whispered softly, “that man looks scary.”

Elena forced herself to smile gently.

But deep inside, old memories were already returning.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“He always was.”

Chapter 2

The guest room was very big, dark, and cold. It looked like a room where nobody lived. Years ago, Elena was Lucien's wife. She always tried to make this house look beautiful. She bought bright curtains and put flowers on the tables. But after she left, Lucien took all the warmth away. Now, everything was just black and gray.

"Mommy?" Sofia’s soft voice broke the silence.

Elena stopped thinking and looked down. Sofia was sitting on the edge of the big bed. Her small legs shook a little. She looked so tiny in this giant room.

"Are you tired, sweetie?" Elena walked over. She knelt down to take off Sofia's wet shoes.

"A little," Sofia whispered. She looked around the room with big, nervous eyes. "Is that angry man in the wheelchair the boss of this house?"

Elena’s hands stopped for a second. Then, she forced herself to smile. "He owns the house, but you do not need to be scared of him, Sofia. Just stay here and rest. Mommy has to go downstairs to help the butler make dinner."

Sofia nodded her head. She hugged her old teddy bear tightly.

Elena kissed her daughter's forehead. Her chest felt very heavy. She had not told Sofia the truth. How could she? How could she tell an eight-year-old girl that the angry, broken man downstairs was her real father?

When Elena left Lucien eight years ago, she did not know she was pregnant. By the time she found out, she was already living far away. She was too scared to come back. Back then, Lucien was a dangerous mafia boss. She was afraid he would take her baby away and raise her in a world of violence.

But the Lucien she saw today was different. The powerful king was gone. He could not walk, his men had left him, and he was completely alone.

Life is hard for everyone, Elena thought sadly as she walked out into the dark hallway.

Downstairs, the kitchen was completely quiet. The old butler, Marco, looked very happy to see Elena.

"Miss Elena," Marco said, and his eyes got a little wet. "I never thought I would see you in this kitchen again."

"It is just Elena now, Marco," she said gently. She tied a simple apron around her waist. "I heard from the office that Lucien does not want to eat. What has he been eating?"

"Only whiskey and canned food," Marco sighed, shaking his head. "Since the bad guys attacked him, he does not want to do anything. He fires every helper who comes here. He hates it when people see him weak."

Elena looked around the clean, cold kitchen. Years ago, cooking was the only thing that made her happy when she was stressed.

"I will make some hot chicken soup and rice," Elena said. "It is soft and warm. It will be good for his stomach."

For the next hour, the kitchen finally smelled like a real home. The good smell of warm food filled the house. Elena poured the soup into a bowl, placed it on a tray, and took a deep breath. This was her job now. She needed the money to pay for her mother’s doctor bills. She had to stay strong.

Elena knocked softly on the door of Lucien’s office.

"Get out!" a loud, angry voice shouted from inside.

Elena did not run away. She pushed the door open and walked in with the food tray. The room was very dark. Lucien sat there, looking at old papers. His face looked very mean under the small lamp light.

Lucien did not look at the food. Instead, his dark eyes fixed straight on her face. "I told Marco I do not want a helper. Especially not you."

"Marco did not hire me. The agency did," Elena said back, keeping her voice entirely calm. "And right now, I am the only person left who isn't afraid of your shouting."

Lucien looked down at the warm bowl of soup. The rich scent hit him, instantly pulling him back to the past. He wanted to push her away to prove he still had power. He looked up at her with a cold smile.

"If you want me to eat this, you'll have to feed me," Lucien said, his voice dropping low. "Just like you used to."

Elena stared at him. She did not look flustered at all. Instead, a sad, distant look came into her eyes.

"Years ago, I used to beg to take care of you when you came home late or hurt," Elena said softly. "But you always pushed me away. You never wanted my help back then, Lucien. Now that you're actually stuck in that chair, you want to play games?"

Lucien’s face turned completely red with anger. Her words bit him deeply, shattering his pride. With a fast, angry sweep of his arm, Lucien hit the tray right off the desk.

The bowl smashed on the floor. The hot soup and rice went everywhere.

"I do not want your pity! I do not want your food!" Lucien shouted. His chest moved up and down fast. He stared at her, waiting for her to cry. He wanted her to run away like she used to do.

But Elena did not cry. She did not even move. She just stood there, looking at the broken bowl on the floor. Then she looked straight into his angry eyes.

"You have not changed at all," Elena said softly. Her voice sounded very disappointed. "You still think breaking things makes you look strong."

Before Lucien could say anything, the big door of the office slowly opened. A tiny girl stood there, shaking with fear. Sofia had heard the loud noise from upstairs. Her wide, scared eyes looked at the broken glass on the floor, and then up at the angry man in the wheelchair.

Lucien stopped breathing for a second as he looked at the little girl.