Chapter 8 - THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL
I stood frozen amid the wreckage of the study, clutching my bruised ribs as Luca Moretti walked toward the fireplace. He tossed the torn pieces of Vanessa’s forged deed into the dying embers.
“What about the house, Luca?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Luca turned to face us. The hard, ruthless mafia boss had vanished, replaced by a grieving son who looked utterly exhausted.
He walked to the safe hidden behind his father’s portrait on the wall. He entered a code, pulled out a thick, sealed envelope, and walked back to us.
He handed the envelope to my mother.
Mom wiped her tears, her hands shaking as she broke the wax seal. She pulled out a heavy parchment document with an official gold notary stamp at the bottom.
“My mother didn’t just open Oak Street as a charity,” Luca said softly, his eyes resting on Mom. “She knew her time was coming. She knew Vanessa was dangerous, even if she couldn’t prove it yet. She wanted to make sure the women at Oak Street were protected.”
Mom read the first few lines, her breath hitching. She covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes all over again.
“I don’t understand,” Mom cried.
“Read it, Mom,” I urged gently, stepping to her side.
I looked down at the legal jargon. It wasn't just a will.
I, Maria Moretti, being of sound mind, hereby bequeath the property located at 412 Oak Street, along with its perpetual maintenance trust of four million dollars, entirely and exclusively to my dearest friend and caregiver, Eleanor Bennett.
I gasped, looking up at Luca in shock.
“She left it to you, Mrs. Bennett,” Luca said, a genuine, warm smile breaking through his exhaustion. “Not as an employee. As the owner. Vanessa found the draft of this will three months ago. That’s why she was rushing to sell the house and demolish it. If the house was destroyed before my mother’s official will was executed in probate, the trust money would default back to the main estate, where Vanessa could steal it.”
“Four million dollars?” Mom whispered, her knees buckling slightly.
I caught her arm, holding her steady. We had been evicted into the rain two hours ago with our clothes in garbage bags. Now, my mother was a millionaire.
“But she didn’t just leave you the house,” Luca continued, his gaze shifting down to little Leo.
Leo was peeking out from behind Mom’s legs, his big brown eyes darting around the ruined study.
Luca knelt down, ignoring the broken glass crunching beneath his expensive shoes. He looked at the boy for a long time.
“You’re Leo, aren’t you?” Luca asked gently.
Leo nodded shyly, clutching his teddy bear tighter.
“My mother told me about you, right before she died,” Luca said, his voice cracking slightly. “She told me she found a brave little boy whose mommy had gone to heaven, and that she hid him away to keep him safe from bad people.”
“The scary lady with the hammer wanted to find me,” Leo whispered.
“I know,” Luca said. “But she’s gone now. She can never hurt you again.”
Luca reached into his vest pocket. He pulled out a stunning, antique silver pocket watch. It had the Moretti family crest engraved on the front.
“This belonged to my father,” Luca said, holding it out to the little boy. “And before that, his father. In our family, when you get this watch, it means you belong to us. It means no one can ever touch you.”
Leo looked at the shiny watch, then up at my mother for permission. Mom nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek.
Leo reached out with a tiny hand and took the watch, tracing the engraved crest with his thumb.
“Does this mean I don’t have to hide in the pantry anymore?” Leo asked innocently.
Luca’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “You never have to hide again, Leo. You’re family now.”
I watched the interaction, an overwhelming wave of relief washing over me. The nightmare was truly over. Vanessa’s web of lies had been burned to ash.
Luca stood back up and turned to me.
“Clara,” he said, his tone shifting to something deeply respectful. “You risked your life tonight. You saved my life, and you protected my mother’s legacy. I cannot ask you to put on that maid’s uniform ever again.”
“I need a job, Luca,” I said with a tired, genuine laugh. “We still have to pay the property taxes on Oak Street.”
“You have a job,” Luca said firmly. “I am restructuring the Moretti legitimate enterprises tomorrow morning. I need someone I can trust completely to run the Moretti Family Foundation. The starting salary is a quarter of a million a year, plus full benefits and security.”
I stared at him, completely speechless.
“Will you accept it?” he asked.
I looked at my mother, who was beaming at me with pride. I looked at little Leo, safely holding the silver pocket watch.
May you like
I turned back to the most powerful man in the city, lifted my chin, and smiled.
“I’ll need an office with a window,” I said.
