SHE CAME FOR THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE

The mansion felt entirely different the next day.

The heavy, suffocating tension that had blanketed the estate for nine months was gone. The dark clouds had broken.

The engagement dinner had been a disaster, but it was the best thing that ever happened to the Moretti family.

By noon, the news had spread through the Chicago underground. Vanessa Bellini was permanently exiled. Dr. Vance was sitting in a holding cell, singing like a canary to the District Attorney about a decade of medical fraud.

And Maria Conti was no longer just the former housekeeper.

Luca had publicly named her the Matriarch of the Moretti Estate.

I spent the afternoon packing up Vanessa’s belongings into heavy cardboard boxes. Matteo and his men were going to dump them at a charity drop-off.

As I folded the last red silk dress, I looked around the lavish suite.

My job here was done.

I had been hired to clean, to serve, to fade into the background. But over the last twenty-four hours, I had stepped over every professional boundary imaginable. I had confronted Vanessa, defied orders, and uncovered family secrets.

A housekeeper who knows too much is usually a housekeeper who needs to leave.

I went to my small room in the staff quarters.

I pulled my duffel bag from under the bed and began folding my uniforms.

I wasn’t sad. I felt a deep sense of pride. I had helped put a broken family back together.

I reached for my pillow to grab my phone charger.

My hand stopped.

Sitting perfectly centered on the white cotton pillowcase was a small, black velvet box.

My heart did a strange flutter.

It was the same box I had seen in Luca’s jacket pocket the morning before.

I carefully picked it up.

I opened the lid.

Inside rested a delicate, breathtakingly beautiful gold necklace. The pendant was a tiny, intricate sparrow mid-flight.

Tucked behind the necklace was a small, folded note.

The handwriting was sharp and masculine.

Sparrows are known for their loyalty, their courage, and their ability to find the truth in the darkest places. Come to the library when you are packed.

I stared at the note.

When you are packed.

He was letting me go. He was giving me a generous severance gift and saying goodbye.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, fastened my duffel bag, and put the necklace in my coat pocket.

I walked down the long corridor toward the library.

The heavy oak doors were open.

Luca was standing by the massive stone fireplace. He was no longer wearing his stiff business suits. He wore dark jeans and a simple black cashmere sweater. He looked ten years younger.

“Mr. Moretti,” I said quietly, setting my bag down by the door.

He turned around. His gray eyes softened when he saw me.

“Emma.”

“I packed my things,” I said, forcing a professional smile. “I wanted to thank you for the severance gift. It’s too generous, but it’s beautiful.”

Luca frowned slightly. “Severance gift?”

“The necklace. It’s a wonderful way to say goodbye.”

Luca walked slowly across the Persian rug. He stopped just inches away from me.

“Who said anything about saying goodbye?” he asked softly.

I looked up at him, confused. “The note said ‘Come to the library when you are packed.’”

“Yes,” Luca said, a small, genuine smile playing on his lips. “Because you’re moving out of the staff quarters.”

My breath hitched. “I am?”

“Maria is moving into the Matriarch suite in the east wing,” Luca explained. “Leo has the main guest room next to mine. But Leo needs a tutor. A protector. Someone who isn't afraid of monsters, and someone who knows how to spot a liar a mile away.”

He reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch sent a shockwave of heat straight to my chest.

“I don't want you cleaning this house anymore, Emma,” Luca murmured. “I want you running it. As my Chief of Staff. And as Leo’s guardian.”

I stared at him, completely overwhelmed.

“You trust me that much?” I whispered.

“You saved my brother. You saved Maria. You saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life,” Luca said, his voice dropping to a gravelly register. “I trust you more than anyone else in this world.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold sparrow necklace.

“May I?” he asked.

I nodded, unable to speak.

He stepped behind me. His warm fingers brushed the nape of my neck as he clasped the delicate chain.

“Welcome to the family, Emma,” he whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the moment wash over me.

But as I opened them, I noticed a loose floorboard near the edge of the library rug. It had been slightly dislodged when I set my heavy duffel bag down.