Chapter 6 - The West Wing
Moving into the west wing felt like entering a different universe.
The private apartment assigned to Lily and me was three times the size of our old basement staff quarters. It featured massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the estate's private rose gardens, a stone fireplace, a modern kitchen with marble countertops, and a master bedroom with soft velvet curtains.
For the first time in three years, I woke up to the sound of birds singing outside a window instead of the hum of basement water pipes.
"Mommy! Look! A balcony!" Lily squealed, running across the hardwood floor in her pajamas, pointing out through the glass doors at the sunlit lawn below.
I stood near the kitchen island, holding a fresh cup of coffee, watching her laugh. A deep, long-overdue sense of safety began to wash over my chest—a feeling I hadn't experienced since my husband David passed away.
A gentle knock sounded at the apartment door.
I walked over and opened it.
Standing in the hallway was Caleb Stone, the head of security. He was dressed in his usual sharp black suit, but his posture was noticeably different—less aggressive, more respectful. In his hands, he carried a tablet and a thick leather folder.
"Good morning, Clara," Caleb said politely. "Mr. Moretti asked me to bring you the new security clearances and estate access codes."
"Good morning, Caleb," I replied, stepping aside to let him enter. "Come in."
Caleb walked into the living room, setting the folder down on the kitchen island. He looked around the sunny apartment, then down at Lily, who gave him a cautious wave from the sofa.
"I wanted to apologize, Clara," Caleb said, looking directly into my eyes, his voice sincere. "Last night... when that fake memo appeared... I let the breach cloud my judgment. I should have known you had nothing to do with it."
"You were doing your job, Caleb," I said softly, pouring him a cup of coffee. "Someone infiltrated the nursery under your watch. Panic makes everyone look for the easiest target."
Caleb accepted the mug with a nod of gratitude. "Evelyn Cross was extremely clever. She used a high-frequency signal jammer hidden inside a floral arrangement to disable the secondary nursery camera at 7:00 PM. That's how Nurse Henderson got Matteo out without triggering the door alarms."
"And the jammer?"
"Recovered by our forensics team," Caleb said. "Along with financial records proving Evelyn was planning to liquidate Mara's trust through a shell bank in the Cayman Islands by the end of the month."
I took a sip of my coffee. "Is Rocco... is he okay?"
"Mr. Moretti hasn't slept in thirty-six hours," Caleb revealed, lowering his voice slightly. "He's spent the entire night restructuring the estate staff and overseeing the legal seizure of the Cross family assets. But he's calm. Calmer than he's been since Mara died."
Caleb pulled a small silver key card from the folder and placed it on the counter.
"This is your Master Access Key," Caleb explained. "It opens every door in this estate, including the vault rooms, the private medical suite, and Mr. Moretti's personal study. Only three people hold this clearance: Rocco, myself, and now you."
May you like
I stared at the silver card. "Caleb, I'm just supervising the household and managing Matteo's care. Do I really need vault access?"
"Mr. Moretti insists," Caleb said firmly. "He trusts you, Clara. And around here, Rocco Moretti's trust is the strongest shield you could ever carry."
