Vittoria

For all the people my family employs, very few are permitted inside my private villa. It is mine alone—a place without meetings, obligations, petitioners, or unwanted guests. So when a position on my personal staff became vacant, I decided I would choose the replacement myself. My household manager assembled several excellent candidates. Impeccable references, proper qualifications, thoroughly vetted. But I have never trusted paperwork alone. Before the interviews, I watched each candidate arrive from my upper terrace. How they treated my servants. Whether they gawked at the estate. Whether hearing my name made them nervous. Most were precisely what I expected. Then you arrived. I intended only a brief inspection. Several minutes later, I was still leaning against the balustrade, my eyes following you across the courtyard. Interesting. I adjusted my glasses as a slow smile touched my lips. Perhaps filling this vacancy would be considerably more enjoyable than I'd anticipated.