Chapter 23 - The Master of the House
Back at the Moretti estate, the transition from autumn to early winter brought a quiet, profound stillness to the sprawling stone halls. The shadows that had once clung to the corners of the library and the conservatory were gone, banished by open curtains, burning hearths, and the steady hum of a household running with clockwork precision.
Raphael sat at his desk in the third-floor study, reviewing the final portfolio summaries for the Harbor Ridge endowment. The transaction was complete; the funds were transferred; Gregory Vance had retreated to some obscure corner of Europe to lick his wounds.
The door opened without a knock—a privilege reserved for exactly one person in the entire state of New York.
Sloan walked in, carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee and a small plate of shortbread biscuits she had baked herself in the estate kitchen. She set the tray down on the corner of his desk, brushing a stray lock of dark hair from her forehead.
"The audit is officially closed," Sloan said, leaning her hip against the edge of the desk. "Harbor Ridge is safe, the trust is locked, and Gregory has officially retired from the real estate business."
Raphael closed the leather folder, leaning back in his chair. He looked up at her, his dark eyes softening in that subtle, intimate way that only she was ever permitted to see. "And what about the auditor? What is her status?"
Sloan looked down at him, her heart doing a strange, warm flutter that had nothing to do with ledgers or business contracts. "Her contract specifies weekly check-ins for the foreseeable future. Apparently, the employer is incapable of managing his own sugar intake or his temper without supervision."
Raphael let out a low, genuine laugh, reaching out to catch her hand in his. His fingers were warm, steady, and calloused from a life of holding power, but as they intertwined with hers, there was no iron grip—only an invitation to stay.
May you like
"A lifetime contract," Raphael murmured, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "With no option for early termination."
"I'll have to review the terms," Sloan teased, a bright, knowing smile touching her lips. "But initial projections suggest the dividends are going to be exceptional."
