Chapter 9 - THE BILLIONAIRE'S BREAKTHROUGH
That evening, true to his promise, Ricardo stepped out of his study promptly at five o'clock.
He walked down to the dining room, where a simple, home-cooked meal of rice, beans, roasted chicken, and fresh salad was laid out on the table. There were no caterers, no silver platters—just a warm, family-style dinner prepared with Luía’s guidance and the girls' clumsy assistance.
As Ricardo pulled out his chair, Mariana, Laura, Julia, Sofía, Beatriz, Bianca, and little Isabela all took their seats around him.
For the first time in six months, nobody was looking at their phones. Nobody was crying.
Ricardo looked across the table, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he watched Julia laughing at something Bianca whispered in her ear, while Laura calmly passed the bowl of rice without pulling a single strand of hair.
At the end of the table, Luía was quietly clearing away a stray napkin, preparing to head home for her night classes.
"Ms. Oliveira," Ricardo called out, his voice rich with emotion.
Luía paused, turning around. "Yes, Mr. Mendonza?"
"Sit down," Ricardo said, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. "Eat with us."
Luía blinked in surprise. "Sir, I'm the household manager. I'm supposed to be working."
"The kitchen is clean, the girls are smiling, and for the first time in over a year, this house feels like a home," Ricardo smiled, his voice steady and warm. "You've earned your seat at this table, Luía. Please."
Mariana looked up from her plate, her dark eyes meeting Luía’s, and nodded slowly. "Yeah, Luía. Sit down. We saved you the chicken leg."
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Luía felt a lump form in her throat. She looked at the billionaire, the six girls who had declared war on the world just a week ago, and realized that healing wasn't about erasing the scars—it was about learning how to live around them together.
She untied her cleaning apron, folded it neatly over the back of the chair, and sat down at the table.
