Chapter 9 - the room beneath the velvet
By midnight, the storm had passed, leaving the night sky clear and studded with brilliant stars above the quiet waters of Lake Como.
Roman walked down the grand corridor to the east wing library, carrying the brass key with the faded blue ribbon. Behind him walked Megan, holding a sleeping Sadie wrapped in a warm velvet blanket against her shoulder.
They stepped into a small, private gallery at the rear of the library that had remained locked for twenty years.
Roman inserted the brass key into a small carved oak door behind a silk tapestry. He turned the key.
Clack.
The door opened smoothly, revealing a beautiful, light-filled room decorated with hand-painted wall murals, wooden toys, and a large oil portrait hanging above a marble fireplace.
The portrait depicted Roman's father, Victor Vale, standing beside a gentle young woman with soft brown hair—Megan's mother.
Megan walked into the room, her breath catching in her throat, tears welling in her eyes as she looked up at the portrait. "My mother..."
"My father built this room for your family twenty years ago, Megan," Roman said gently, stepping up beside her. "Before the war broke out. He wanted you and your mother to have a permanent sanctuary under this roof."
Megan looked at Roman, her tears spilling over her cheeks—tears not of fear, but of profound relief and closure after years of struggling in the dark. "He never forgot us..."
"No," Roman murmured, reaching out to gently touch Sadie's soft hair as the little girl slept. "And neither will I. Starting today, this estate is your home. You and Sadie will never want for anything again."
May you like
Megan looked into Roman's dark, intense eyes, seeing the fierce, unwavering protection of a man who had cleared the traitors from his house to fulfill a sacred promise.
"Thank you, Roman," Megan whispered softly.
