Chapter 5 - A Debt Paid in Full
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I woke up at five o’clock in the morning to the sound of torrential rain battering against my small attic bedroom window.
My heart jolted immediately into panic, the routine anxiety of unpaid bills crashing over me like a tidal wave.
Monday was only two days away.
Even though Luca had promised I wouldn't lose my job, I knew how quickly billionaire tempers could turn once the dust settled.
I threw on a clean maid’s uniform, pinned my dark hair back into a tight bun, and hurried down the narrow service stairs.
The estate was eerily quiet at dawn.
The grand dining hall had already been cleared of the half-eaten engagement cake, the broken champagne glasses swept away.
In the industrial kitchen, Mrs. Carter was already brewing dark roast coffee, her wrinkled face grim and exhausted.
"Good morning, Nora," Mrs. Carter greeted me, handing me a steaming ceramic mug.
"Good morning, Mrs. Carter," I whispered, wrapping my cold fingers around the warmth of the mug.
"How is Ethan?"
"Still sleeping like an angel," the older woman replied, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Marco and four security teams spent the entire night changing the digital gate codes and perimeter surveillance."
"The Bellini family has been calling the boss's personal line every twenty minutes since three in the morning."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"Is there going to be a war?"
Mrs. Carter gave a bitter, knowing chuckle.
"In our world, child, wars don't start with explosions."
"They start with quiet bank transfers and severed contracts."
"And Mr. Moretti is far deadlier with a phone than Silvio Bellini is with a machine gun."
Before I could answer, the kitchen door swung open.
Marco stepped inside, his dark overcoat dripping wet from inspecting the grounds.
"Nora," Marco grunted, his gruff voice cutting through the smell of toasted bread.
"The boss wants you in his study right now."
My stomach dropped straight into my shoes.
Mrs. Carter gave my wrist a reassuring squeeze, but her eyes held a flicker of apprehension.
I set my coffee mug on the stainless-steel counter and smoothed down my apron with clammy palms.
I walked through the silent corridors once more, every tick of the hallway clocks sounding like a countdown to doom.
When I knocked on the heavy study door, Luca's voice responded immediately.
"Enter."
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Luca was sitting behind his massive mahogany desk, looking remarkably fresh despite having slept no more than two hours.
He wore a crisp white dress shirt with the top button undone, his dark hair neatly combed back.
A tall stack of manila folders and legal contracts sat beside a glowing laptop screen.
"Close the door and take a seat, Nora," Luca said without looking up from his paperwork.
I closed the door quietly and walked over to the leather chair opposite his desk, taking a seat with rigid posture.
Luca finished signing a legal document with a heavy fountain pen, closed the folder, and slid it into a drawer.
Then he looked up, his sharp dark eyes assessing me with cool calculation.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"A few hours, sir. Thank you," I replied cautiously.
Luca opened a slim black leather checkbook that rested on the center of his blotter.
He picked up the fountain pen again and began to write with fluid, deliberate strokes.
I watched the nib glide across the parchment, my breath caught tight in my lungs.
He tore the check from the book with a crisp snap and slid it across the polished desk toward me.
"Look at it," he commanded softly.
My trembling fingers reached out and picked up the paper.
My eyes landed on the numbers, and my vision blurred instantly.
It was not four thousand two hundred dollars.
It was made out to the St. Jude Specialized Neurological Rehabilitation Center for the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
"Mr. Moretti..." I gasped, the paper shaking in my hand.
"This... this must be a mistake."
"I don't make mistakes with numbers, Nora," Luca said, leaning back in his leather chair.
"Four thousand dollars would have kept your mother safe for a month."
"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars guarantees her a private suite, three dedicated physical therapists, and comprehensive care for the next three years."
A violent sob ripped from my chest, hot tears spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them.
"I can't accept this," I wept, shaking my head frantically.
"I don't have any way to ever pay you back."
"I earn fifteen dollars an hour cleaning your bathrooms!"
Luca stood up from his desk and walked around to my side, leaning against the edge of the wood just inches away.
"You are no longer a maid in this house, Nora," he said, his voice deep and absolute.
I looked up through my tears, bewildered.
"Sir?"
"As of this morning, you are Ethan's personal guardian and the director of domestic operations for this estate," Luca announced.
"You answer directly to me."
"Nobody gives you orders except myself."
"Your salary will be one hundred and twenty thousand dollars a year, with full health insurance and a family benefits package."
I stared at him in utter disbelief, convinced I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation.
"Why would you do this for me?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Luca’s expression softened into something profound and raw.
"Because last night, twenty-eight of the wealthiest, most powerful people in this state sat at my table."
"Every single one of them saw that cake."
"Every single one of them knew Ethan had an allergy."
"And not a single one of them opened their mouths, because they were terrified of offending the Bellini family."
He leaned closer, his dark eyes boring into mine.
"You risked your paycheck, your home, and your safety to snatch that fork from his mouth."
"In my world, loyalty like that cannot be bought."
"It can only be rewarded."
Before I could answer, the door of the study flew open without a knock.
Marco stood in the doorway, his assault rifle slung over his shoulder, his scarred face grim.
"Boss," Marco said tensely.
May you like
"Silvio Bellini just crashed his convoy through the outer security gate."
"He's armed, he's furious, and he brought fifty men with him."
