Chapter 8 – The Happy Ending

I fastened the gold sun necklace around my neck, the cool metal resting against my collarbone.

It felt like a piece of my mother had finally come back to me.

Dominic stood up from his desk and walked around to face me.

“Sophie,” he said, his voice carrying the warmth of a true patriarch. “You are no longer a maid in this house. Not unless you want to be.”

I looked up at him, wiping a tear from my cheek. “What do you mean?”

“I am setting up a trust in your name,” Dominic said. “Enough to pay off your sister’s college tuition, and enough for you to do whatever you want with your life. Go to school, travel, start a business. The Romano family owes you a debt we can never fully repay.”

I was speechless.

Millions of dollars. Freedom. A future for my sister.

“I… I don’t know what to say, Mr. Romano,” I stammered.

“Say yes,” Margaret smiled, patting my hand. “You’ve earned every penny, my dear.”

I looked at the doorway.

Leo was standing there, peeking around the frame.

“Uncle Dom?” Leo asked timidly.

“Come here, buddy,” Dominic smiled, opening his arms.

Leo ran across the room and jumped into Dominic’s arms. Dominic hugged him tightly, resting his chin on the boy’s dark hair.

“I’m going to officially adopt him,” Dominic said, looking at me. “He’s going to have the Romano name. He’s going to grow up safe, loved, and protected.”

The trauma of the past few days seemed to melt away in the warmth of Dominic’s study.

The villainous fiancée was behind bars. The rival mob boss was gone. The rightful heir was safe and loved.

It was a perfectly happy ending.

But as I stood up to leave, feeling lighter than I had in years, Margaret cleared her throat.

“Dominic,” the retired judge said softly. “There is one more piece of business regarding your father’s estate.”

Dominic put Leo down. “Go finish your cartoons, kiddo. Uncle Dom will be right there.”

Leo zoomed out of the room.

Dominic turned back to Margaret. “What business? I thought we sorted the trust.”

Margaret reached into her leather handbag.

She pulled out a small, sealed envelope. The parchment was yellowed with age, sealed with red wax bearing the Romano family crest.

“I found this in my safe deposit box yesterday, while I was retrieving the forged marriage certificate,” Margaret said.

She handed the envelope to Dominic.

“Your father gave this to me ten years ago. He told me to give it to you only when you were ready to take over the family completely.”

Dominic frowned, looking at the heavy wax seal.

“I took over the family five years ago when he died,” Dominic said.

“I know,” Margaret replied. “But I didn’t think you were ready. Not until I saw how you handled Victoria. How you protected Leo.”

Dominic ran his thumb over the wax.

“What’s in it?”

Margaret looked at me, then back at Dominic.

“A confession,” Margaret said quietly. “About what really happened the night your brother Vincent died.”

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