The Maid Who Wouldn't Leave
Chapter 07 - The Maid Who Wouldn't Leave
Luca offered Olivia paid leave while the investigation continued. She refused the idea of staying in his house as a protected guest, but accepted temporary accommodation arranged independently through her lawyer. Mrs. Carter brought her fresh clothes, and Ruth insisted on seeing the bruise for herself.
"You should have called me," Ruth said.
"I didn't want you worrying."
"Then you've forgotten what being a mother means. We worry anyway."
The swelling had begun to fade, leaving an ugly yellow edge beneath the purple. Olivia avoided mirrors. Every time she remembered Vanessa's fingers gripping her shoulder, she felt foolish for having frozen instead of shouting. A counselor recommended by the clinic reminded her that freezing was a common response to fear, not a personal failure.
When Luca visited Ruth's apartment with Olivia's permission, he wore no bodyguards' earpieces and brought no grand gifts. Ruth offered him tea and sat across from him at a small kitchen table. She asked why Olivia had been too frightened to speak.
"Because the person who hurt her knew where to find me," Ruth said before he could answer. "And because your house taught her that saying no to wealthy people could cost her everything."
Luca accepted the criticism. He had never told staff to fear him, but he had allowed a household where people were rewarded for not making trouble. He promised a full employment review and invited staff to report concerns to an outside firm.
Olivia said, "I don't want to be a reason you fight with Vanessa. I want her to be accountable because what she did was wrong."
"You're right," he said.
After he left, Olivia found a letter beneath Ruth's medicine organizer. It was addressed to the Moretti Foundation and dated six years earlier. Ruth had never mailed it. The name on the envelope was Matteo Greco.
May you like
"Mom," Olivia said softly, "why do you have a letter to the man everyone says stole the relief money?"
Ruth's face changed. "Because he was your father's friend. And because the night that warehouse burned, your father was inside."
