Chapter 9 - The Debt of the House
By 2:00 AM, the estate had been completely restored to order.
The local police—fully managed by my legal team—had cleared the wrecked vehicle from the driveway under the cover of a private security incident. The front iron gate was undergoing temporary repairs, and the perimeter security team had doubled its night watch.
In the sub-basement panic room, the heavy steel door unlocked with a deep, hydraulic hiss.
I stepped inside the warm, wood-paneled room.
The three nannies were sitting on comfortable leather sofas, feeding the triplets warm bottles. Theo, Miles, and Nora were completely calm now, their soft blue eyes bright, their tiny hands clutching their blankets as they drank peacefully.
In the corner of the room, Elena sat on a small armchair, her head resting back against the cushion, fast asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Beside her, little Sophie was sitting on a plush wool rug, carefully re-tying the faded pink ribbon on her handmade cloth doll.
I walked quietly across the room, taking a seat on the rug beside the four-year-old girl.
Sophie looked up at me, her bright blue eyes showing no fear of the dark or the long night we had just endured.
"Is the wall better now, Mr. Adrien?" she asked softly.
"The wall is completely fixed, Sophie," I whispered, reaching out to stroke her soft blonde hair. "The bad bug is gone. And my babies are sleeping because of you."
Sophie looked toward the cribs where Theo was letting out a long, content yawn. "Barnaby says he's glad they aren't crying anymore. It was making his ears tired."
"Barnaby is a very smart doll," I said, smiling genuinely for the first time in weeks.
Elena stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she realized I was sitting on the floor beside her daughter. She gasped, scrambling to her feet instantly.
"Mr. Moretti! I am so sorry, I fell asleep—"
"Elena, sit down," I commanded gently, standing up.
Elena looked anxious, her hands knotting her black apron together. "Is everything okay outside, sir? Are we safe?"
"We are completely safe," I assured her. "The threat has been permanently eliminated."
I looked at Elena, then down at Sophie, who was now holding her doll up to show me its mismatched button eyes.
"Elena," I said, my tone becoming serious. "How long have you worked for the Moretti family?"
"Four years, sir," Elena answered softly. "Since right before Sophie was born. Your late wife, Mrs. Isabella, hired me when I had nowhere else to go."
"My wife had excellent judgment," I said. "Tomorrow morning, my estate manager will transfer half a million dollars into a private trust fund for Sophie's future education."
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Elena’s jaw dropped. She covered her mouth with both hands, tears springing into her eyes. "Mr. Moretti... no... I can't accept that! That is far too much money!"
"It isn't a gift, Elena," I said, looking down at the little girl in the yellow lace dress. "It is a debt of honor. Your daughter saved the lives and the minds of my three children tonight. In my family, we never forget a debt."
