Chapter 8 - The Awakening of Elena
Elena was finally able to sit up in a chair by the window.
The color had returned to her cheeks,
and her eyes were bright and clear.
She watched the way Adrien interacted with her daughter.
She saw the man who the world feared,
kneeling on the grass to help a toddler find a ladybug.
She saw the way he listened to Lucia's endless stories with a patience that was almost holy.
She felt a deep,
aching gratitude,
but also a profound sense of confusion.
Why?
Why had he done all this for them?
One afternoon,
Adrien came to her room.
He was carrying a stack of papers.
"How are you feeling,
Elena?"
he asked,
sitting in the chair opposite her.
"I am well,
sir,"
she said,
her voice still a bit thin.
"I...
I want to ask you something."
Adrien nodded,
waiting.
"Why?"
she whispered.
"Why did you save us?"
"We are just servants."
Adrien looked out the window,
watching Lucia play with a golden retriever in the yard.
"Because I came home early,"
he said.
"Because I found a child polishing my shoes in the dark."
"Because in that moment,
I realized I was the poorest man in the world."
"I had everything,"
"and I had nothing."
"Your daughter showed me what a Romano is supposed to be."
"A Romano protects his own."
"And you are mine,
Elena."
He handed her the papers.
"These are the new contracts for the estate,"
he said.
"You are no longer a maid."
"You are the estate manager."
"You will have a salary,
a health plan,
and a college fund for Lucia."
Elena looked at the papers,
her hands shaking.
"I...
I don't know how to be a manager,"
she gasped.
"You managed to raise a daughter like that while working eighteen hours a day,"
Adrien said.
"You can manage a house."
"You will have people to help you."
"And you will never have to worry about a roof over your head again."
Elena looked up at him,
tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you,"
she whispered.
"Thank you,
Adrien."
It was the first time she had used his name.
He smiled,
a real,
warm smile that reached his eyes.
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"You’re welcome,
Elena."
