Chapter 14 - The Sacred Vow
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Three days later, the Moretti estate had been completely restored, smelling of fresh white lilies and polished beeswax.
Every trace of the violent siege had been erased by the finest craftsmen in the city of Chicago.
Luca assembled the entire household staff—the maids, cooks, chauffeurs, and private security guards—in the grand ballroom.
I stood near the front, feeling nervous in my simple maid's uniform among so many imposing, serious people.
Rosa sat comfortably in a gilded armchair on the raised stage, dressed in a lovely lavender dress, her hands resting peacefully.
Luca walked onto the stage, dressed in an immaculate charcoal three-piece suit, his posture radiating undisputed authority.
"For the past month, my mother was subjected to cruelty and humiliation inside this very house," Luca began, his deep voice carrying through the hall.
"Many of you saw what Vanessa was doing and chose to stay silent because you valued your paychecks over basic human decency."
A wave of uncomfortable shifting rippled through the gathered servants, several maids lowering their heads in shame.
"Every single person who looked away is terminated immediately," Luca declared without hesitation.
"You have one hour to pack your belongings and vacate the premises, and your references are permanently revoked."
The dismissed staff members filed out quietly under the watchful eyes of armed guards, leaving only a handful of loyal workers behind.
Luca then turned his intense gaze directly toward me.
"Claire, please step forward."
My heart pounded as I walked up the three steps of the stage, stopping before the most powerful man in Chicago.
"When my mother was kneeling on that cold floor, scrubbing shoes with bleeding hands, you were the only one who knelt beside her," Luca said softly.
"You defied my wife, you tended to my mother's wounds, and during the attack, you saved my life with your courage."
"From this day forward, you are the Executive Administrator of the Moretti Estate and the director of the Rosa Moretti Foundation."
"You will receive a salary of half a million dollars annually, full equity in our real estate portfolio, and the eternal protection of this family."
Gasps of awe echoed from the remaining staff, and tears pricked my eyes as I looked at Rosa, who was smiling at me warmly.
"Thank you, Mr. Moretti," I choked out, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"I am honored to serve your family."
"You don't serve us anymore, Claire," Luca said, smiling genuinely.
"You are family now."
Then, before the entire assembly, Luca did something that shocked every hardened mobster in the room.
He picked up a silver basin filled with warm water, placed it on the floor before his mother’s chair, and knelt down.
The terrifying boss of the Chicago underworld rolled up his sleeves and gently placed his mother’s feet into the water.
He washed her feet with fragrant lavender oil, kissing her wrinkled ankles with tears of pure devotion in his eyes.
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"Never again, Mama," he whispered, looking up into her radiant face.
"You are the queen of this house, and you will sit on this throne until your very last breath."
