Chapter 10 - THE BEDROOM WITH THE PINK WALLS
The next morning, the mansion felt entirely different.
The storm had passed, leaving clear, bright sunlight streaming through the massive windows.
I woke up in a guest suite on the third floor.
Not the servant's quarters.
The bed was impossibly soft, the sheets smelling of lavender.
I touched the diamond necklace still resting against my collarbone. It wasn't a dream.
I got out of bed and walked out into the hallway.
I heard soft giggling coming from the end of the hall.
I followed the sound to the room that had been sealed for seventeen years. Elena Moretti’s bedroom.
But the door was open.
I walked in.
The heavy drapes had been pulled back.
Luca was sitting on the floor, surrounded by old photo albums.
Mia was sitting next to him, pointing at a picture of a young Luca covered in mud.
“That was you?” Mia laughed.
“Unfortunately,” Luca smiled, turning the page.
He looked up and saw me in the doorway.
His smile widened.
“Good morning, Emma.”
“Good morning,” I said, stepping into the room.
It didn't feel like a mausoleum anymore. It felt warm.
“We’re looking for ideas,” Luca said, gesturing to the room. “Mia needs a bedroom. I thought we could paint this one. Maybe pink?”
Mia gasped excitedly. “Can we have butterflies on the ceiling?”
“As many as you want,” Luca promised.
I sat down next to them on the floor.
Sarah walked in a moment later, carrying a tray of pancakes and fresh juice.
“Breakfast is served,” she announced cheerfully.
She set the tray down and handed Mia a plate.
We sat on the floor of our mother’s old room, eating pancakes and laughing.
It was the most normal, beautiful morning of my life.
After breakfast, Luca stood up.
“Emma, walk with me for a minute.”
I followed him out into the hallway, down to his private study.
He closed the door behind us.
He walked over to his massive oak desk and picked up a manila folder.
“I spoke with my lawyers this morning,” Luca said, his tone turning serious but gentle.
“The Bellinis are going away for a very long time. Margaret Bennett confessed to everything. The threat is gone.”
He handed me the folder.
“This is the paperwork for the Moretti Trust. Half of everything I own belongs to you.”
I stared at the thick stack of papers.
“Luca, I don't need the money. I just want my family.”
“You have both,” he insisted. “Our mother wanted you to be taken care of. This is your birthright.”
He pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to me.
I looked at the signature line.
I didn't sign as Emma Sullivan.
I signed as Emma Moretti.
Luca smiled as I handed the folder back.
“Welcome to the family, officially.”
May you like
He pulled one more thing from his desk drawer.
It was a small, velvet jewelry box.
