Chapter 4 - The Midnight Confession
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I followed Luca down the quiet hallway toward his private study, my heart drumming a frantic rhythm in my ears.
Every shadow in the corridor seemed stretched and menacing under the dim sconce lighting.
Luca pushed open the heavy oak doors to his sanctuary, stepping inside and gesturing for me to follow.
The study smelled richly of aged scotch, leather-bound books, and expensive Cuban tobacco.
A massive fireplace crackled softly on the far wall, casting dancing orange embers across dark mahogany paneling.
Luca did not sit behind his imposing desk.
Instead, he walked over to the crystal bar cart and poured two fingers of amber liquid into a tumbler.
"Sit down, Nora," he said, nodding toward the pair of deep leather armchairs near the fire.
"Thank you, sir, but I'm fine standing," I replied instinctively, keeping my hands folded neatly in front of my apron.
Housemaids did not sit in the boss’s private chairs.
We cleaned them, conditioned the leather, and vacated the room before anyone noticed our presence.
Luca paused, tumbler in hand, and turned his head to study me with intense, unyielding eyes.
"I wasn't making a polite suggestion," he said evenly.
I swallowed hard and sat down on the edge of the leather cushion, perching stiffly as if the furniture might collapse.
Luca walked over, pulled the second armchair opposite me, and sat down.
He leaned back, swirling the amber liquid in his glass without taking a sip.
"How long have you worked here?" he asked.
"Fourteen months, Mr. Moretti," I answered immediately.
"And in those fourteen months, how many times has Vanessa threatened you?"
The question hit me like a bucket of ice water.
I clamped my lips together, my eyes darting toward the Persian rug beneath my sensible work shoes.
"You don't have to protect her anymore, Nora," Luca added, his tone dangerously calm.
"She is gone."
"Her belongings are currently being thrown into garbage bags outside the gate."
"If she sets foot on this estate again, she will be leaving in a body bag."
The chilling finality in his voice reminded me exactly what kind of man I was dealing with.
Luca Moretti was not just an heir to high society; he was the undisputed king of Chicago’s underworld.
"She... she threatened me frequently, sir," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Whenever you weren't home."
Luca’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking beneath his dark stubble.
"What did she say?"
"She told me that if I ever spoke to you about Ethan's food, she would make sure I was blacklisted across the entire city," I said, tears stinging my eyes.
"She said she would tell you I stole family jewelry."
"She said your word was law, and nobody would ever believe a maid over your future wife."
Luca closed his eyes for a brief second, exhaling a ragged, furious breath.
"And Ethan?" he asked, opening his eyes again.
"What did she do to Ethan when my back was turned?"
I gripped the fabric of my black uniform skirt, remembering the months of silent cruelty I had witnessed.
"She pinched him, sir," I choked out, a hot tear slipping down my cheek.
"Under the table, where the cameras couldn't see."
"She told him he was weak because of his allergy."
"She said that real Moretti men didn't need special treatment, and that you were secretly ashamed of him."
A crystal decanter on the side table rattled as Luca’s heavy hand gripped the armrest of his chair with crushing force.
The rage rolling off him was an almost physical wave of heat.
"My son thought I was ashamed of him," Luca whispered, the words sounding like broken glass in his throat.
"He loves you so much, Mr. Moretti," I said quickly, desperate to ease the anguish on his face.
"He wears his hair like yours."
"He practices walking like you in his bedroom mirror."
"He was only tolerating her because he thought having a mother would make you happy."
Luca took a long, burning swallow of his scotch, staring into the flickering embers of the hearth.
"I never wanted a wife for myself," he admitted quietly, looking older than his thirty-five years.
"Elena died when Ethan was four."
"A drive-by shooting aimed at my car that missed me and took her instead."
"Since that day, all I've tried to do is build an empire big enough to keep my son safe from the world."
"The Bellini alliance was supposed to guarantee peace across the northern borders."
"It was supposed to secure an army to protect him if I ever fell."
He set his glass down on the side table with a sharp click.
"Instead, I brought a monster through my own front gates."
"You didn't know, sir," I offered gently.
"She was very careful to hide it from you."
Luca turned his gaze back to me, his dark eyes softening with deep, searching intensity.
"Mrs. Carter told me you have an elderly mother in a specialized care facility," he said, shifting topics so suddenly my breath hitched.
"Yes, sir," I answered warily.
"Margaret Bennett."
"She broke her spine in an industrial accident three years ago."
"Her medical insurance denied coverage for the physical therapy she needs to walk again."
"That's why you were so terrified of losing your job tonight," Luca observed, his voice completely devoid of judgment.
"Yes, sir," I confessed, looking down at my hands.
"Her next payment of four thousand two hundred dollars is due on Monday morning."
"If I don't pay it, they discharge her to a state facility with no rehabilitation program."
Luca leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, bringing his face closer to mine.
"You chose to save my son tonight, knowing it could cost your mother her care."
"I couldn't let him get hurt, Mr. Moretti," I said, meeting his intense gaze despite the tremble in my voice.
"I couldn't watch a child suffer when I had the power to stop it."
"Even if it meant losing my job."
"Even if it meant ruining my own life."
Luca stared at me for several heartbeats, as if seeing me clearly for the very first time.
"You didn't ruin your life, Nora," he said, a faint, rare smile touching his lips.
"You just saved it."
He reached across the small space between us and placed a warm, heavy hand over mine.
His touch was steady, protective, and completely unexpected.
May you like
"Go get some sleep," Luca said gently.
"Tomorrow morning, everything changes in this house."
