Chapter 10 - THE VELVET BOX ON THE PIANO
Two months later, the mansion felt entirely different.
The heavy, dark curtains had been replaced with sheer white drapes. The oppressive silence that used to choke the hallways was gone, replaced by the sound of Leo’s laughter echoing from the garden.
I was no longer the maid.
I was Emma Moretti in everything but name.
I stood in the kitchen, pouring coffee, wearing one of Luca’s oversized dress shirts over my leggings.
Life had become beautifully ordinary.
Vanessa was awaiting trial. Her empire had crumbled to dust.
As I carried the coffee mugs into the sunroom, I stopped dead in my tracks.
My father was standing up.
He wasn't leaning on his wheelchair. He was standing on his own two feet, looking out the window at Luca teaching Leo how to throw a baseball.
“Dad?” I gasped, nearly dropping the mugs.
He turned slowly. His right side was still a bit stiff, but his smile was wide and clear.
“Morning, sweetie,” he said.
His voice was raspy, but the words were perfect.
Tears instantly blurred my vision. I set the coffee down and ran to hug him.
“You’re standing. You’re talking,” I cried into his shoulder.
He patted my back gently. “Told you I just needed a vacation.”
We sat down at the table.
My father took a slow sip of his coffee. He looked at me with a serious expression.
“Emma, there is something I need to tell you. Something I didn't tell the police.”
My smile faded. “What is it?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sealed envelope. The paper was yellowed, the edges frayed with age.
“When Catherine Bellini ordered me to destroy all of Lucia’s personal belongings after the crash,” my father said quietly, “I burned most of it to keep Catherine happy. But I saved this. I hid it for twenty years.”
He slid the envelope across the table.
“It’s for Luca,” my father said. “From his father.”
My breath hitched. Luca’s father had died of a broken heart shortly after Lucia’s death.
Before I could ask what was inside, the back door opened.
Luca walked in, carrying a laughing Leo on his shoulders.
“Breakfast time for champions!” Luca announced, his face glowing with happiness.
He set Leo down, kissed my cheek, and then stopped when he saw the serious look on my father’s face.
“Thomas? Is everything okay?” Luca asked.
May you like
My father pushed the envelope toward him.
“This is for you, son,” my father said.
