Chapter 5 - The Marble and the Mess
The guest wing of the Romano mansion had seen presidents,
oil tycoons,
and silent film stars.
But it had never seen anything like Lucia.
Within forty-eight hours,
the pristine,
white carpets were dotted with the occasional crumb.
A stuffed bear with a mismatched ear sat on a Louis XIV chair.
And the air,
usually stagnant with the smell of expensive wax,
now smelled of chicken broth and bubble bath.
Elena was awake,
though she was still very weak.
The first time she opened her eyes and saw the gilded ceiling,
she had panicked,
trying to crawl out of the bed.
Adrien had been there,
standing by the window.
"Stay down,
Elena,"
he had said,
his voice calm.
She had looked at him with terror,
her hands shaking.
"Mr. Romano...
I...
I am so sorry,"
she gasped.
"I will be back to work tomorrow."
"I promise."
Adrien walked to the bedside,
looking down at her.
"You will not be back to work tomorrow,"
he said.
"Or the day after."
"You are a guest in this house until you can walk a mile without losing your breath."
"But...
the rules,"
she whispered.
"Mrs. Gable said—"
"Mrs. Gable is gone,"
Adrien interrupted.
"And the rules have changed."
"Your daughter saved your life,
Elena."
"She polished my shoes until her hands were black,"
"just so you wouldn't lose your home."
Elena’s eyes filled with tears,
overflowing and tracing paths down her pale cheeks.
At that moment,
Lucia burst into the room,
holding a tray with a single,
cracked piece of toast.
She was wearing a silk robe that was ten sizes too big,
trailing behind her like a royal cape.
"Mama!
I made breakfast!"
she chirped,
carefully placing the tray on the bed.
Elena pulled her daughter into a hug,
sobbing into her hair.
Adrien watched them,
feeling a strange tightness in his throat.
He had spent his life thinking that power was about control.
But as he watched the mother and daughter,
he realized that power was actually about the ability to protect.
He left the room quietly,
heading toward his office.
He had work to do.
He had to ensure that no one ever felt like they had to hide a fever in his house again.
May you like
He had to rebuild the foundation of the Romano name,
one stone at a time.
