Chapter 9 - The Ballroom at Midnight
Three months later.
The Valente estate had changed. The cold, sterile silence that had defined the fourteen-thousand-square-foot mansion for seven years was gone. Sunlight streamed through open windows, fresh flowers filled the vases in the grand hallway, and the staff moved through their duties with genuine smiles, led by a newly appointed head of household who treated everyone with kindness and dignity.
The Seiko watch no longer sat alone on Matteo's desk. It had been repaired, its crystal replaced with a sapphire glass, its leather band restored. It sat on a shelf in the living room, a quiet reminder of the night everything had changed.
At eleven-thirty in the evening, Matteo walked down the marble hallway toward the west wing.
He was dressed in a dark pair of trousers and a loose white dress shirt—the top three buttons undone, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He reached the heavy oak doors of the grand ballroom. They were standing wide open.
Soft jazz music floated out from a high-end wireless speaker sitting on the window sill. Warm, golden ambient light spilled across the polished hardwood floor.
In the center of the room was Elena.
She was wearing one of his crisp white dress shirts, buttoned down to her thighs, tied loosely at her waist, her bare feet gliding effortlessly across the mirror-like floor. She held a wooden spoon in her right hand, twirling around in a circle, laughing softly to herself as she moved to the rhythm of the music.
Matteo leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest, a soft, incredibly warm smile on his face as he watched her.
Elena turned around mid-spin, caught him standing there, and stopped. She flushed slightly, lowering the wooden spoon, a playful glint in her amber eyes.
"You're watching me again, Mr. Valente," she said, teasing him.
"I installed twelve cameras in this room three months ago, Miss Moretti," Matteo replied, stepping into the ballroom, his eyes never leaving her face. "I spend half my working day watching you."
"That sounds like an abuse of executive power," she countered, stepping toward him with a slow, swaying hip movement.
"It's my favorite perk of the job," Matteo murmured, reaching out and grabbing her hand as she reached him.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. Elena laughed, dropping the wooden spoon onto a nearby velvet couch, resting her hands against his broad chest.
They swayed together in the middle of the empty, glowing ballroom, moving perfectly in sync with the soft music filling the air.
"My sisters loved the new house in Evanston," Elena whispered, looking up into his dark, affectionate eyes. "Sophia started her pre-med classes this morning."
"I know," Matteo smiled softly. "I had Marco's replacement drop off a fresh laptop and textbook set for her yesterday."
Elena shook her head, her heart overflowing with love. "You spoil them."
"I protect my family," Matteo corrected gently, his tone turning sweet and serious. "All of them."
Elena rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat. "I used to think this room was full of ghosts, Matteo."
May you like
"And now?" he asked, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her scent of lavender and sunshine.
"Now," she said, looking up and kissing his jaw, "it's full of us."
