The wind howling off the New York cliffs sounded like a desperate animal, but inside the Moretti estate, the only sound was the harsh scrape-scrape-scrape of Nora’s brush against Italian marble.

Nora watched Lorenzo approach. Despite seeing justice served to Mrs. Gable, she couldn't stop her heart from pounding. The man walking toward her was a criminal king, a man who possessed unlimited power and wealth.

Lorenzo stopped in front of her. For a long moment, he said nothing. He simply looked at the tired, young pregnant woman who had stood up against evil with nothing but a mop and a warm heart.

Slowly, to the absolute shock of Marco and the remaining guards, Lorenzo Moretti bent one knee and dropped to the floor before Nora.

"Mr. Moretti!" Nora gasped, trying to sit up. "You don't have to—"

"Quiet," Lorenzo said gently, extending a hand to stop her from moving. He looked into her eyes, all the darkness and terror vanishing from his face. "Nora... my father spoke tonight for the first time in five years. Do you know what the doctors told me when he had his stroke?"

Nora shook her head softly.

"They told me he was gone," Lorenzo said, his voice thick with emotion. "They told me his brain was too damaged to process love, anger, or speech. They told me he was a shell. I believed them, so I left him here, thinking he was peaceful. I was a fool."

Lorenzo reached out and gently touched Nora’s calloused, bleach-burned hand.

"He spoke tonight because of you. You gave him his humanity back when everyone else treated him like trash. You spent your own meager wages to keep him warm. You protected my father when his own son failed him."

Tears welling in her eyes, Nora swallowed hard. "He was just a lonely old man who needed help, Mr. Moretti. Nobody deserves to be left in the dark."

Lorenzo squeezed her hand tightly. "Your name is Nora, correct?"

"Yes, sir. Nora Vance."

"Nora," Lorenzo said firmly. "From this second, you are no longer a maid. You will never hold a scrub brush again. You will never worry about rent, food, or safety for as long as you live."

He stood up and looked at his chief security officer. "Marco. Prepare the master suite on the top floor for Nora. Get the medical team up here immediately. From now on, she receives the absolute best of everything this family owns."

Nora’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Mr. Moretti, I can't accept that! I’m just a—"

"You are the woman who saved my father," Lorenzo interrupted, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through his hard features. "In the Moretti family, we repay our debts. And I owe you my father's life."

Just then, the elevator doors at the end of the hall opened with a soft chime.

Standing inside the elevator, leaning heavily on a wooden cane, supported by a private doctor, was Giovanni Moretti.

The old Don had forced himself out of his wheelchair. His legs shook violently under his weight, but his spine was straight. He walked out into the foyer, his dark eyes searching the room until they landed on Nora.