Chapter 6 - The Golden Cage
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Dr. Rossi arrived exactly ten minutes later. He was an older man with sharp eyes, carrying a leather medical bag that had undoubtedly patched up bullet wounds in hidden basements. He examined my leg while Luca stood silently by the door, watching with an intense, unblinking gaze.
"A deep contusion and a hairline fracture of the patella," Dr. Rossi diagnosed, wrapping my knee tightly in a rigid medical brace. "She needs absolute bed rest for at least two weeks. No stairs. No cleaning."
"Understood," Luca replied.
After the doctor left, I looked around the sprawling, luxurious guest room. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A massive fireplace crackled warmly in the corner. It was a room meant for billionaires, not a maid earning minimum wage.
"Mr. Moretti," I started, nervously gripping the silk sheets. "I can't stay here. The housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, will fire me if I miss my shifts. I need this job to pay my mother's rent."
Luca walked slowly toward the bed. He pulled a chair up and sat down, leaning his elbows on his knees.
"Mrs. Gable does not run this estate. I do," Luca said quietly. "Your job is no longer to scrub the floors. Your job is to heal. Your salary will be paid in full, and I will personally cover your mother's rent."
I stared at him, utterly bewildered. "Why? Why are you doing this for me?"
Luca looked at me for a long, agonizing moment. The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words and a tension I couldn't quite define.
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"Because you were hurt under my roof," he finally answered, his dark eyes tracing the contours of my face. "And I protect what is mine."
The words sent a dangerous, electric thrill through my veins. I was a prisoner in a beautiful, golden cage.
