Chapter 9 - A New Beginning
Alessandro reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a key attached to a heavy brass tag engraved with the number 1.
“What is this?” I asked softly.
“This is the key to the main estate residence,” Alessandro explained, offering it to me. “You and Emma will no longer live in the garden cottage, and you will no longer work as a maid. You are guests of the Moretti family—permanently.”
I looked at the key, then up at his handsome, rugged face. “Alessandro… I can't just accept your charity. I want to earn my way.”
“You already earned it,” he smiled, a genuine, warm smile that transformed his intimidating face into something breathtakingly handsome. “Your daughter saved my life and my empire with a basin of cold water. And you have endured more hardship with grace than any person I have ever met.”
He knelt down in front of my chair, taking my hand in his—just as he had taken Emma’s dripping little hand in the laundry room two days ago.
“Let me protect you, Clara,” he murmured softly, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart flutter. “Not as a boss protecting an employee… but as a man who wants to give you and your child the life you deserve.”
May you like
I looked at his strong, calloused hands holding mine, feeling the undeniable warmth and safety radiating from him. The fear that had pursued me for two long years finally dissolved, replaced by a deep, beautiful sense of peace.
“Yes,” I whispered, tears of joy streaming down my face. “Yes, Alessandro.”
