Chapter 10 - Springtime in Westchester
Six months later, Westchester County was once again blanketed in the vibrant green of early summer.
The Moretti estate was no longer a fortress of cold limestone and enforced isolation. The iron gates remained open during the day, welcoming tutors, therapists, friends, and family. The gardens bloomed with red roses and white hydrangeas, filling the air with a sweet, natural fragrance.
In the central courtyard, Sophia and Lily were chasing a golden retriever puppy across the manicured lawn. Lily was running—not steadily yet, but with a growing, joyful independence that made her laughter echo off the stone walls of the mansion.
On the wide shaded veranda, Gabriel sat at a wrought-iron table reviewing shipping manifests, though his eyes kept drifting toward the lawn.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Emma Brooks stepped out onto the veranda carrying a tray with two glasses of iced lemonade. She wore a breezy yellow sundress that suited her soft curves and warm complexion, her dark-blonde hair braided over one shoulder.
She set a glass down beside Gabriel’s hand.
“You’re staring again,” Emma teased gently, a playful smile touching her lips.
Gabriel looked up, his stern features melting into a rare, genuine smile that reached his dark eyes. He reached out, taking her hand and pulling her down onto the seat beside him.
“I’m not staring,” Gabriel murmured, his thumb lightly brushing the back of her hand. “I’m observing my favorite investment.”
Emma laughed, shaking her head. “I’m a housekeeper, Mr. Moretti. Not a stock portfolio.”
“You stopped being a housekeeper the night you faced down an assassin with a broom,” Gabriel said, his voice dropping into a soft, resonant warmth. “And you became something far more important to this family.”
Emma’s brown eyes softened. She leaned into his shoulder, watching as Lily successfully chased the puppy across the grass without stumbling.
“Are you happy, Emma?” Gabriel asked quietly, the billionaire mafia boss completely disappearing, leaving only a man who had finally found his way home.
“I am,” Emma whispered, turning her face upward to meet his gaze. “More than I ever thought possible.”
Gabriel leaned down and kissed her lips—a gentle, lingering promise of a future built not on fear, money, or power, but on trust, survival, and enduring love.
Across the sunlit lawn, Lily shouted toward the veranda, waving both hands in the air.
May you like
“Daddy! Emma! Look at me!”
Gabriel raised his hand, waving back with a smile that carried no shadows at all. The ruthless billionaire had built an empire to protect his world, but it was the chubby, gentle-hearted maid who had taught him how to live in it.
