Chapter 4 - Restructuring the Estate
The following morning sunlight broke brilliantly over Lake Michigan, washing away the remnants of the storm. In the main dining hall, a space designed to seat thirty people, I sat alone at the far end of a mahogany table, reviewing a complete audit of the estate's internal operations.
Marcus walked in, placing a fresh stack of documents beside my coffee.
"Higgins' accounts have been frozen," Marcus reported. "We recovered the embezzled funds, and the police have her in custody. Her nephew's cleaning company has already been blacklisted from every commercial contract in the tri-state area."
"And Sophia?" I asked.
"Recovering. The doctor says the antibiotics are working. Her fever broke around dawn." Marcus hesitated, a rare look of uncertainty crossing his face. "Boss... what are we going to do about her and the kid? Staff quarters aren't exactly set up for a toddler."
"They aren't staying in the staff quarters," I said plainly.
Marcus blinked. "Sir?"
"Move them to the guest wing on the second floor. The suite overlooking the gardens. Have it child-proofed by this afternoon."
"The second floor?" Marcus stared at me. "Boss, only family or high-ranking associates stay in the west wing."
"Sophia saved us from an internal leak by doing her job with integrity, while everyone else was busy stealing from the budget," I said, closing the folder with a definitive snap. "And her daughter nearly burned herself to death because our internal management structure was too blind to notice a sick mother. Consider this a correction of logistics."
Later that afternoon, I walked up to the second-floor suite myself. Sophia sat propped up against a pile of plush pillows, looking stunned as she stared out at the sprawling gardens below. Emma was sitting on the plush carpet, entirely absorbed in building a fortress out of expensive throw pillows.
When I knocked on the open door, Sophia turned quickly, trying to stand.
"Stay down," I instructed, walking into the room.
"Mr. Moretti... Marcus said we were moved," she said, her voice filled with cautious disbelief. "The staff quarters—"
"Were substandard and unsafe," I replied. "You work for Apex Maritime now, Sophia. That means your safety, and your daughter's, falls under my direct supervision. The embezzlement in the cleaning budget has been resolved. Higgins is gone."
Sophia’s hands trembled against the blanket. Tears welled in her eyes, but this time, they weren't born of fear. "I don't know how to thank you. I thought... when I got sick, I thought we were going to end up on the street."
"You earned your place here," I said softly.
Emma looked up from her pillow fortress, holding up a plush toy. "Mister Leo?"
"It's Alessandro, Emma," I corrected gently, kneeling down beside her.
She tilted her head, considering it. "Can I help make shirts anymore?"
May you like
I caught Sophia’s amused, watery smile from the bed.
"No," I told the little girl, reaching out to fix the crooked elastic in her hair. "From now on, your only job is to play. Let the adults handle the logistics."
