Chapter 13 - Cleaning House in the Garden DistrictThe following month was a whirlwind of joyous celebration and renewal.
Under my direction, the grand estate was fully opened to the community for the first time in its history. Every Friday evening, local artisans, musicians, and culinary students were invited into the courtyard to share food, culture, and music.
The kitchen staff, who had lived under Vanessa Bellini’s cruel tyranny for years, received complete pension protections, union wages, and full medical benefits.
One morning, the head chef, Monsieur Robert, walked into the kitchen carrying a massive wooden crate of fresh herbs grown in the estate’s newly restored greenhouse.
“Madame Nora,” Robert smiled, bowing his head with genuine affection. “The pecan wood has been seasoned for four months, and the wild sage leaves are ready for the wedding banquet.”
I smiled, wiping my hands on a clean linen towel. “Make sure they are charred for exactly seven minutes, Robert. Not a second more, not a second less.”
Robert chuckled warmly. “Understood, Madame. The Don’s orders are sacred, but the Donna’s recipes are law.”
As Robert returned to the pantry, Luca walked into the sunlit kitchen, wearing a casual linen shirt and dark trousers.
He caught me around the waist from behind, pressing a warm kiss against the curve of my neck.
“Are you teasing my kitchen staff again, my love?” he whispered against my ear.
“Just making sure your standards remain intact, Don Moretti,” I teased back, turning in his embrace to loop my arms around his neck.
May you like
Luca looked down at me, his eyes full of that deep, unshakable peace that had replaced the cold shadows of his past.
“My only standard is you, Nora,” he murmured, kissing me softly on the lips. “Everything else is just details.”
