Chapter 9 - The Debt Repaid
A week later, Aleandro was well enough to sit at his desk in the study.
His left arm was secured in a black sling, but his mind was as sharp as ever.
The old walnut clock still ticked steadily on the wall, completely free of any hidden devices.
He pressed the intercom button on his desk.
“Maria, please bring Emma in here.”
A few moments later, the heavy doors opened.
The maid, Sophia, walked in looking incredibly nervous, holding her daughter’s hand.
Little Emma clutched the same stuffed rabbit, looking around the grand room with wide eyes.
“You asked to see us, Mr. Moretti?” Sophia asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Aleandro offered them a rare, warm smile.
“Please, sit down.”
He looked directly at the four-year-old girl who had saved his empire.
“Emma, do you know what you did last week?”
Emma shook her head innocently.
“You helped me find something that was lost.”
“Because you were brave enough to speak up, you saved a very important person.”
Aleandro slid a thick manila folder across the polished desk toward Sophia.
“Sophia, you have been a loyal worker in this house for six years.”
“Inside this folder are the deed to a four-bedroom house in the safest neighborhood in Connecticut.”
Sophia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock.
“There is also a fully funded trust account for Emma.”
“Her college education, her medical care, and her future are entirely paid for.”
“You will never have to scrub another floor again.”
Sophia began to cry, repeatedly whispering her thanks to the Don.
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Emma simply smiled and waved her rabbit at him.
Aleandro knew that in his dark world, true innocence was the most precious commodity of all.
