Chapter 5 - The Morning After
I woke to the sound of freezing rain lashing against the massive windows. The bed beside me was empty, but a heavy wool blanket had been draped over my sleeping form sometime during the night.
I sat up, wincing as my ribs protested. The bedroom door opened softly, and Maria, the stern housekeeper from yesterday, walked in carrying a silver tray.
Her demeanor had completely shifted. The coldness was gone, replaced by a motherly, almost fiercely protective gaze. She set the tray on the nightstand.
“Mr. Morretti had me prepare ginger tea and oatmeal for you, Madam. He said you might have trouble keeping heavy food down with your injuries.”
I stared at her in shock. “He told you?”
Maria’s expression hardened, but not at me. “He called the senior staff into his office at dawn. He made it very clear that you are the absolute master of this house, second only to him. He also said that if any member of your former family attempts to set foot on this property, his guards have orders to shoot them on sight.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Where is Luca now?”
“He is in a meeting with his capos,” Maria said, pouring the hot tea. “He has been making phone calls all morning. He is... very angry, Madam.”
I wrapped my hands around the warm teacup. Luca had promised me protection, but I hadn’t dared to believe it was real. Men in our world did not protect broken things; they discarded them.
“Drink, child,” Maria urged gently. “You need your strength. The doctor will be here in an hour to examine your back.”
“A doctor?” I panicked slightly, pulling Luca’s t-shirt tighter around myself.
May you like
“A trusted one,” she assured me. “Mr. Morretti threatened to cut out his tongue if he ever speaks a word of what he sees. You are safe here, Seraphina.”
I took a sip of the tea. It was warm, sweet, and for the first time in my existence, tasted like absolute freedom.
