Chapter 7 - The Restoration
Two weeks later.
The atmosphere inside the Beverly Hills estate had transformed completely.
Harrison Vance was locked away in a federal detention center awaiting formal sentencing. The fraudulent offshore entities had been dissolved by court order, and every dollar diverted from the estate’s operational accounts had been recovered by Frank Vance’s team.
It was a bright Tuesday morning when I summoned the entire domestic staff to the main parlor.
Rosa Martinez stood in the front row, wearing her clean blue housekeeper’s uniform. Beside her were Thomas the gardener, Maria the cook, David the security guard, and eight other staff members who kept my home running day after day.
They looked nervous, whispering among themselves, unsure why the owner of the estate had called them all together into the grand room.
I stood in front of them, holding a stack of blue leather folders.
"Thank you all for coming," I began, my voice warm and sincere. "I called you here today to deliver a formal apology."
Rosa shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Sterling, sir... you don't owe us an apology—"
"I do, Rosa," I interrupted gently. "For three months, crimes were committed under this roof by a man I trusted to manage my home. You were lied to, your hard work was exploited, and your financial security was threatened while I was busy running my corporate business."
I picked up the first blue folder.
"Effective today," I announced, looking at every face in the room, "all domestic staff salaries at Sterling Estate are being permanently increased by twenty-five percent."
A sudden, collective gasp echoed through the parlor.
Maria the cook covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Thomas the gardener blinked, dropping his hat onto the floor.
"Furthermore," I continued, "every employee in this room is receiving a one-time restitution bonus of ten thousand dollars, deposited directly into your verified bank accounts this morning. And finally, my firm has established a fully funded health insurance and college scholarship trust for every one of your children."
Rosa began to cry softly, reaching out to clutch Maria’s hand.
"You are not just workers who clean my floors or trim my hedges," I told them, my voice filled with genuine emotion. "You are the heartbeat of this house. You keep my life safe, clean, and functioning. And under my roof, no loyal worker will ever be betrayed again."
The staff burst into spontaneous applause. Thomas wiped a tear from his eye, stepping forward to shake my hand with a firm, calloused grip. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling. God bless you, sir."
One by one, I handed each staff member their new employment contract and bonus folder.
When Rosa stepped up to take hers, she looked at me with deep, profound gratitude.
"Mr. Sterling," Rosa whispered. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Don't thank me, Rosa," I smiled, kneeling down slightly to look at her. "Where is Camila today?"
Rosa smiled through her tears. "She’s at school, sir. She got an A on her math test yesterday."
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"Tell her," I said, "that she is invited to have ice cream in the main dining room with me every Friday afternoon after school."
Rosa laughed, her face glowing with pure joy. "She will love that, Mr. Sterling. She really will."
