It wasn’t just Milo who was shocked. Every guard on the field felt their jaws drop. Thirty extra push-ups might not have sounded like much, but adding thirty to their daily session, felt like too much. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

A heavy, collective gasp went up. They looked at Milo briefly, their eyes flashing with anger and frustration, before they turned their heads toward Salvatore.

"Seriously, Boss?" one of the guards at the back called out.

"No fucking way! It’s his mistake! Why do we have to pay for it?" another shouted, gesturing toward Milo’s thin, trembling frame.

"Not again!" another man groaned.

"Damn it!"

Milo felt his lungs burning as he tried to catch his breath. He was still reeling from the physical exertion of the run, his vision blurry and his legs feeling like jelly.

He took deep, ragged breaths, his chest heaving. Before he could speak up to apologize, Salvatore’s eyes scanned the field.

The man began to count everyone who had spoken up, pointing at them one by one with a slow, deliberate finger.

"One, two, three... six, seven," Salvatore counted. His voice was calm, which made the atmosphere even more terrifying. "Add seven more. Thirty-seven for tomorrow."

The guards immediately erupted into protest. The shouting grew louder as men began to swear and argue.

"Fifty," Salvatore said, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.

Everyone’s mouths dropped open. No way... But now nobody said anything.

Milo gasped. He watched as the man didn’t reduce the number but simply added more and more every time someone opened their mouth.

Milo tried to sit down on the grass, his lips feeling dry and cracked. He looked at the angry faces of the men around him and felt a deep sense of guilt. He didn’t want everyone to hate him on his first day.

"Sir, please," Milo said, his voice cracking. "Let me do it myself. I’ll do them all. Don’t add it to everyone else."

Salvatore didn’t even blink. "Fifty-five."

What? Milo’s mouth fell open. He was speechless. He wanted to speak again, to beg Salvatore to stop, but he was too afraid now.

He saw the way the other guards were staring at him, not with pity, but with a warning to shut up.

The entire field fell silent. The only sounds were the wind and the distant noise of the guards’ heavy breathing.

They all stood there, pouting with sour, exhausted faces. Fifty-five extra push-ups.

Damn... Milo let out a long, shaky sigh. He realized that by trying to help, he had only added to their punishment.

He called it punishment. It was his first day, and he had already managed to make all the guards despise him.

Milo’s teeth began to chatter, a delayed reaction to the cold morning air and the adrenaline. Salvatore looked at the group and then looked specifically at Milo.

"Clean yourself and get breakfast," Salvatore said loudly. He directed the instruction at Milo, as the rest of the men already knew the routine.

Milo gasped for air one last time and followed the crowd as they began to trudge toward the pantry area used by the guards and the servants.

The mansion was already awake. The servants had started their daily chores, and the smell of coffee and frying meat began to drift through the hallways.

Luke and his kitchen staff were busy preparing large trays of food to feed the hungry men.

Milo didn’t dare get too close to the main serving area. He stood by the entrance, his shoulders hunched. He knew he was the cause of their extra pain, and he expected them to turn on him the moment Salvatore was out of sight. He waited for the insults or the shoves.

"Hey, kid! Sit down! Why are you standing there like a statue?"

Milo flinched. He looked over to see a man with a massive, bulky build waving him over. The man was sitting at one of the long wooden tables, a plate of eggs in front of him.

Milo looked worried. He thought this might be the start of a bullying session.

He walked carefully to the table and sat on the very edge of the bench. He recognized some of the faces, but he still didn’t know their names.

"Don’t worry," the bulky man said, taking a large bite of toast. "The boss is just like that. We get used to it."

The man reached for a glass of water and drank the whole thing in one gulp. Milo watched him, trying to see if there was a trick or a hidden threat.

"You’ll get used to it too," the man continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It’s always hard the first time, just like it is for everyone else. So don’t feel guilty."

Another guard, a bald man sitting across from them, nodded in agreement. "Yes. It’s just surprising that he’s training you himself. Usually, he gets people from the agency if he needs a new guard."

Milo tilted his head. "Agency?"

The bald man nodded. "Most of us are from a private security agency. We served Niccolo for quite a long time before Salvatore came here. We’re professionals, but Salvatore treats everyone like they’re in basic training."

Milo tried to process the information. He had thought they were just "mafia" guards, but the idea of an agency made it sound more like a business.

The bulky man beside Milo reached out and slapped him hard on the shoulder. Milo nearly fell off the bench.

"Salvatore was from the agency himself before he became the boss. He was an executor, you know, a hitman. He’s more than capable of training you. It’s just... you’re the first actual ’newbie’ guard he’s taken under himself. So, good luck."

"And try not to cause trouble for us either," a guard from another table called out, his voice sharp.

"He’s really annoying!" another man chimed in. "He’ll punish all of us just because one of us breathes wrong!"

"Yes, kid, try to get faster at the very least!"

The bulky man beside Milo shouted back at them. "Hey! You’re going to scare him to death. You won’t change him in a single day, so expect more push-ups from now on!"

A collective groan rose from the tables. Milo lowered his head, feeling the weight of guilt once more.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "I’ll try to be faster tomorrow."

He didn’t know how he was going to manage that. Every muscle in his body felt like it was screaming. His arms were shaking so much he could barely hold his fork.

After breakfast, the guards dispersed. Milo realized not everyone stayed in the mansion. Some of them hopped into cars and drove off. He didn’t know where they were going.

Milo returned to his room to clean up. He hadn’t seen Teo this morning.

He stripped off his sweaty workout clothes and stepped into the shower. The warm water felt incredible against his sore muscles, but his body felt like it had been broken into a thousand pieces and glued back together incorrectly.

He wasn’t sure if he would still be alive by the next morning if the training stayed this intense.

He picked up the razor and began his routine. He cleaned the stubble from his neck and then carefully shaved his lower body.

His hands were shaking from exhaustion, and he had to be extremely careful not to cut himself. He was tired, but he couldn’t let himself get covered in hair.

He cleaned his chest with extra care. The fabric of his workout shirt had rubbed against his nipple rings during the run, making the skin red and irritated. It wasn’t as painful as the day before, but it was still uncomfortable.

After he finished, he put on the clean white shirt and the black trousers Salvatore had bought for him. He stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the collar.

He was surprised by his own reflection. He looked like one of the men Nero used to have in his office: clean, sharp, and neat.

He gave himself a small smile.

He put on his shoes and headed out as fast as he could. He was terrified that Salvatore might add more punishment if he was late for his next "duty," but as he walked through the mansion, he realized he didn’t actually know what he was supposed to do next.

He looked for Salvatore in the garden and in the main office, but the man was nowhere to be found.

What should I do? Milo wondered.

Salvatore had explicitly told him not to help with the chores or work for the servants. But standing around doing nothing felt strange to him as well.

"Hey, boy!"

Milo turned around. Bernard was standing near the side entrance, waving his hand. Milo hurried over to him.

"Good morning, Sir," Milo said.

Bernard smiled, his face crinkling. "Hey, you look good in those clothes. How are you?"

"I’m fine," Milo said, trying to stand up straight despite the ache in his back.

Bernard looked him up and down. "Do you have something to do? Does Salvatore need you?"

Milo thought about it and shook his head. "No. I don’t know. I can’t find him."

"Good! Let’s go then!" Bernard said, already turning to walk toward the backyard. "Go change clothes. Help me again with the bricks. I want to finish that wall today."

Milo stood still. He felt a wave of conflict. Salvatore had told him he was a guard and that he shouldn’t be doing chores for the staff.

But what about Bernard? He wasn’t a servant.

And Milo didn’t know how to say no. Salvatore had said he should only do what he was told, but right now, Bernard was the only one telling him anything.

"Come on! Don’t just stand there!" Bernard called out.

Milo bit his lip. He didn’t want to be lazy. He hurried back to his room, changed into his comfortable clothes, and spent the entire morning until early afternoon hauling heavy bricks for the old man.

Late that afternoon, Salvatore returned. The black car pulled up to the front, and Salvatore stepped out. He walked toward the side of the house, his eyes immediately landing on the bakery building.

He saw Milo. The boy was covered in brick dust again, his face smudged with dirt as he struggled to lift a heavy bucket with both hands.

Salvatore stopped. He let out a long, heavy sigh. He had specifically told the boy to focus on his training. Seeing him back there was getting on his nerves.

Roderick stepped out of the car and followed Salvatore’s gaze. "What happened?"

"I really need to teach that boy a lesson. He’s getting on my nerves."

"Why?" Roderick asked, looking confused. From his perspective, Milo was just being helpful. "He’s working hard."

Salvatore didn’t answer. He turned and began walking toward his office. "Ask Milo to come to my office now."

Roderick nodded. "Yes. Do you want to have lunch now or later?"

"Later," Salvatore said. He needed to make Milo feel hell today.