Chapter 9 - The Justice Served
The Moretti estate was bathed in warm, golden afternoon light when I finally woke up.
I was lying in the massive, plush bed of the master suite. My shoulder had been stitched, cleaned, and heavily bandaged by the private doctor. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, managed by medication.
I turned my head.
Luca was sitting in a heavy leather armchair pulled right up to the edge of the bed.
He had finally changed out of his bloodstained clothes into a simple dark henley and sweatpants. He looked exhausted, but his dark eyes were wide awake, watching me breathe.
“Hey,” I whispered, my voice slightly raspy.
Luca leaned forward instantly, taking my good hand in his. He brought my knuckles to his lips, closing his eyes as he kissed my skin.
“How do you feel?” he asked softly.
“Like I survived a war,” I managed a small smile.
“You did,” Luca said, his expression turning incredibly serious. “You ended the war, Rachel.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, gently brushing a lock of hair from my forehead.
“Vanessa is gone,” Luca explained quietly. “The Commission seized all her father’s assets. She was put on a plane to South America this morning with nothing but the clothes on her back. She will never step foot in this country again.”
A deep, profound sense of relief washed over me. The monster was gone.
“And Caroline?” I asked.
“She’s safe,” Luca smiled gently. “She’s resting in the guest wing. She’s going to stay for a few weeks to recover, and then she’s going back to Chicago to her fiancé. But she promised to visit.”
He looked down at our joined hands.
“I apologized to her. For believing she abandoned Sophie. We both cried. We forgave each other.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m so glad, Luca.”
“I also made a phone call to Ohio this morning,” Luca continued, a spark of pure, protective warmth lighting up his eyes.
I froze. “My mother?”
“I had her transferred via private medical jet to the best orthopedic specialty hospital in New York,” Luca said. “The top surgeon in the country is fixing what Vanessa’s doctor broke. She’s going to make a full recovery, Rachel. And you never have to worry about a medical bill again.”
Tears spilled over my eyelashes. I pulled his hand to my chest, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his love and protection.
“Thank you,” I sobbed quietly. “Thank you, Luca.”
“You never have to thank me for taking care of my family,” Luca whispered, leaning down to kiss my tears away.
Suddenly, the heavy bedroom door slowly pushed open.
Teresa stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on her silver cane, but her face was absolutely glowing with joy.
“Are you decent, my girl?” Teresa smiled.
“Yes, Mrs. Moretti,” I said, sitting up slightly.
Teresa walked into the room, followed closely by Caroline. The two women, who had been torn apart by grief and manipulation, were walking side by side, completely reconciled.
Teresa approached the bed and reached into the pocket of her cardigan.
She pulled out a small, blue velvet box.
It was the same blue box I had pulled from the incinerator flames.
“Caroline and I were looking through this,” Teresa said softly, her eyes shining with tears. “We found something at the very bottom. Something that belongs to you.”
She opened the box.
Inside, resting next to the polaroids of Sophie, was a small, hand-drawn picture.
It was drawn in heavy, frantic pink crayon. It showed a little girl with pink boots, holding hands with a woman holding a feather duster.
I stared at the drawing, completely bewildered.
“Sophie drew this a week before she died,” Caroline explained, stepping forward with a tearful smile. “She told me she had a dream about a beautiful angel with brown hair who was going to come and take care of her Daddy and her Grandma when she was gone.”
My breath hitched.
“She drew you, Rachel,” Teresa whispered, placing the drawing gently in my hands. “She knew you were coming.”
I looked at the drawing. I looked at the little pink boots. I looked at Luca, who was staring at the drawing with a look of profound, overwhelming peace.
The heavy, suffocating grief that had haunted this mansion for three years finally lifted, evaporating like mist in the morning sun.
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The dignity of the family had been restored. The lies had been burned away.
I was safe. I was loved. And I was exactly where I belonged.
