Chapter 13 - Breaking the Contract
The next morning, the winter sun struggled to pierce through the tall, leaded glass windows of the Duca library, casting long, geometric shadows across the polished dark wood paneling. I sat at a small mahogany writing desk in the corner of the room, cradling a mug of hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows that the estate chef had prepared for Lily and me. Lily was sitting on the floor nearby, happily stacking wooden building blocks while Matteo stood by the fireplace, speaking in a low, furious tone into his smartphone.
"I don't care what the regional retention contract states," Matteo snapped into the receiver, his dark styled hair slightly tousled from running his hands through it. "Terminate the agency's management agreement effective immediately. If I ever find out they threatened another employee with eviction over a medical emergency, they'll spend the next decade fighting my legal team in federal court. Is that clear?"
He clicked the phone shut and tossed it onto the mantelpiece, letting out a long, ragged sigh that seemed to shed ten years of corporate stress from his shoulders. He turned around, catching my eye across the quiet library. The harsh, suspicious edge that had defined our first encounter was entirely gone, replaced by a quiet, steady exhaustion that made him look remarkably human.
"Your mother is resting comfortably," Matteo said, walking over to the desk and leaning against the polished wood edge. "Dr. Hayes says her fever has broken. She's going to make a full recovery, but she won't be working another night shift in this house as long as she lives."
"Thank you, Mr. Duca," I murmured, staring down into my cocoa as a hot tear finally slipped past my lashes—not of fear this time, but of sheer relief. "We didn't mean to sneak around. Mom just... she was so scared we'd end up back on the street after Dad left."
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Matteo reached out, his tattooed hand hesitating for a fraction of a second before he gently rested his palm on my shoulder. The touch was warm and grounding. "Your mother worked herself into the ground trying to protect you two. That's a strength I respect, Mia, even if her methods nearly cost her life." He looked around the vast, empty library, his gaze lingering on the heavy wood-paneled wall where the hidden entrance lay concealed behind a row of encyclopedias. "And as for those service tunnels? We're going to have them permanently sealed up by noon. No more secrets in this house."
I gave a small, watery smile, wiping my cheek with the sleeve of my blue sweater. For the first time since we had moved into the estate's orbit, the massive, intimidating house didn't feel like a prison. It felt like a place where people could actually start over.
