Chapter 6 - The Morning After the Storm
The morning sun cast pale, slanting rays across Tessa’s cramped kitchen, illuminating the silence that felt entirely different today. For the first time in years, the kitchen table did not feature a menacing stack of final-notice medical bills demanding money she did not possess. They were gone, replaced by a single crisp business card embossed with gold and a thick stack of cash.
Tessa stared at the card bearing Gabriel Rossi’s private number. Her heart raced with a volatile mix of gratitude and creeping dread. To anyone else, the clearance of her debt was a miraculous blessing, a literal lifeline tossed into a drowning sea. But deep down, Tessa knew the iron-clad rules of the underworld: nothing in this world was ever truly free, especially not when it came from a man like Gabriel Rossi.
When she finally dialed the number at precisely nine in the morning, a deep, calm voice answered on the second ring.
“You called,” Gabriel said, his tone devoid of surprise, carrying a cool authority that instantly filled the phone line.
“I got your note, Mr. Rossi,” Tessa replied, keeping her voice steady despite her trembling fingers. “I appreciate what you did for the bills, but I need to know what this means. I’m a waitress, not a charity case.”
A low, humorless chuckle vibrated through the speaker. “You think I hand out thousands of dollars out of charity, Tessa? My father hasn’t eaten a full meal or laughed at a table in years. You managed what a dozen doctors and armed bodyguards couldn't. Come to the downtown office at three this afternoon. We need to talk about a change in your employment.”
May you like
Before she could object, the line clicked dead. Tessa lowered the phone, her mind racing. A change in employment? She was trapped in the orbit of the most dangerous family in the city, and there was no turning back.
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