Chapter 7 - The Quiet After the Storm
The East Salon was left in a state of stunned, paralyzed silence.
The remaining guests didn't know whether to run, applaud, or faint. Without a word, the city councilman who had been chatting with Vanessa earlier quietly grabbed his coat from the valet rack, slipped out the front door into the rain, and drove away into the night, followed quickly by the rest of the frightened socialites.
Within five minutes, the mansion was empty of outsiders.
Only the core staff, Anna, Lily, and Luca remained.
Luca stood in the center of the vast, silent room, staring down at the shattered glass of champagne glittering on the marble floor. The heavy weight of betrayal, grief, and long-overdue vengeance hung heavy in the air.
He turned slowly toward Anna, who was still standing near the entryway, shivering slightly from the cold rain soaking through her trench coat.
"Mrs. Carter," Luca called out, his voice cutting through the quiet.
The head housekeeper hurried out from the service corridor, her face pale and respectful.
"Yes, Mr. Moretti?"
"Take Mrs. Moretti upstairs. Have the master guest suite prepared for her immediately. Call Dr. Harris back to the estate to examine her. I want a full medical evaluation completed within the hour."
Anna looked at Luca, her eyes swimming with fresh tears. "Luca... I didn't think I’d ever see this house again."
"You are home, Anna," Luca said gently, walking over and placing a warm, steady hand on her shoulder. "And we are going to fix what was broken. I swear it on my life."
As Anna was led away by Mrs. Carter toward the grand staircase, Luca’s gaze shifted across the room.
Lily was still standing near the doorway, clutching her bandaged right hand against her apron, silently preparing to slip out through the service exit now that her shift was officially over.
"Lily."
She stopped, turning back toward him with a hesitant expression. "Yes, Mr. Moretti?"
"Come here."
Lily walked slowly across the polished floor, stopping a few feet away from him. Up close, she looked exhausted—her shift had started twelve hours ago, her hand was burned and throbbing, and she had just witnessed the violent unravelling of a criminal conspiracy inside her employer's living room.
Luca reached out, pulling a small, velvet-lined jewelry box out of his jacket pocket. It wasn't the kind of box meant for engagement rings. It was flat, discreet, and heavy.
He opened it. Inside rested a sleek, high-end digital tablet and a set of master keys.
"What is this, sir?" Lily asked softly.
"Your new contract," Luca said.
Lily blinked. "My... my contract? As a baker?"
"As the Director of Estate Operations and Culinary Quality Assurance," Luca corrected calmly. "Starting salary: one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. Full medical, dental, and educational coverage for you and your sister through any university in the country."
Lily stared at him, her breath catching in her throat. "Mr. Moretti... I can't accept this. I'm just a pastry chef. I don't know anything about running an estate."
"You know courage," Luca said, his gray eyes locking onto hers with unwavering intensity. "You know loyalty. You protected my home, you saved my guests from a poisoned wedding cake, and you refused to break even when a monster burned your hand with a baking tray."
May you like
He closed the velvet box and placed it gently into her uninjured left hand, closing her fingers around it.
"The Moretti estate does not forget its debts, Lily. And neither do I."
