Chapter 7 – The Sunlight In The Courtyard

The morning sun poured through the massive arched windows of the DeLuca mansion.

I stood in front of the mirror in the guest suite.

I wasn’t wearing my black-and-white housekeeping uniform.

I was wearing a soft, beige cashmere sweater and dark jeans. My own clothes.

I felt like I was waking up from a thirteen-month-long nightmare.

Lily ran into the room, holding a piece of toast. She was giggling.

“Mommy, the nice old man showed me how to smell grapes!”

I smiled, picking her up and kissing her cheek. “Mr. Elias is very smart, sweetie.”

“He said we’re going to Italy!” she cheered.

I paused. Italy. The vineyard. The wealth.

It was all so overwhelming.

I walked downstairs, holding Lily’s hand. The staff—my former coworkers—smiled at me. Not with pity, but with genuine respect. They knew what had happened last night. They knew who I really was now.

I found Roman in the central courtyard.

He was standing by the stone fountain, looking out over the manicured lawns. He looked exhausted, but the hard, violent edge he carried the night before was gone.

He looked peaceful.

“Good morning,” I said softly.

He turned. A genuine smile touched his lips. It changed his entire face.

“Good morning, Megan.” He looked at Lily. “Did you get enough to eat?”

Lily nodded vigorously. “Yes! Thank you, Mr. Roman!”

He chuckled. “You’re very welcome.”

I walked up to him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the heavy silver key to the Tuscan estate.

I held it out to him.

Roman’s smile faded. “You’re leaving.”

“No,” I said quietly.

I stepped closer to him. “I don’t want to go to Italy alone. I don’t know anything about running a massive import business.”

Roman looked at the key, then up at my eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying my father built a partnership with your family for a reason,” I said. “He trusted you. And after last night… I trust you.”

Roman didn’t move. He simply stared at me, the walls he had built around himself slowly crumbling.

“I don’t want a key to a separate life,” I told him, dropping the silver key back into my own pocket. “I want to stay here. As your partner.”

Roman took a slow breath.

He reached out and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. His touch was incredibly gentle.

“A partner,” he repeated softly.

“If you’ll have me,” I smiled.

Lily tugged on Roman’s pant leg. “Can we get a dog?”

Roman burst out laughing. A real, deep, echoing laugh.

“Yes, Lily,” Roman smiled, looking down at her, then back up to me. “We can get a dog.”

He offered me his arm.

I took it.

We walked back into the house together. Not as a boss and a maid. Not as a mobster and a civilian.

But as equals.

Ready to build something new.

TITLE: The Shadow Of The Past

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