Chapter 9 - The Debt Paid
Three days later, the warm morning sunshine poured through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows of the sunroom at the St. Jude Care Center.
Penny sat at a small wooden table, peeling an orange for her mother. Evelyn Higgins sat across from her, her graying hair pinned back neatly, wearing a soft lavender sweater. She was smiling, her hazel eyes bright and clear—clearer than they had been in months.
“They brought me fresh pastries this morning, Penny,” Evelyn said, her voice gentle, pointing toward a silver tray on the counter. “And those nice men in suits outside my door... they were so polite. They carried my groceries all the way from the lobby.”
Penny smiled softly, placing a quartered slice of orange into her mother’s hands. “They’re... security contractors, Mom. Sent by a friend.”
“A friend?” Evelyn’s eyes twinkled with sharp, old-fashioned curiosity. “Is this the handsome young man who paid off the remaining three years of my residence fees?”
Penny nearly choked on her breath. “He... he paid three years?!”
“Paid in full,” a deep, velvety gravel voice rang out from the open doorway of the sunroom.
Penny snapped her head around.
Matteo Conti stood in the entrance, wearing a sharp dark suit, holding a massive bouquet of yellow roses—her mother’s favorite flower. He looked completely out of place in the bright, cheery nursing home, yet he commanded the room effortlessly.
Evelyn gasped softly, putting her hand to her cheek. “Oh my goodness. Aren't you a handsome sight.”
Matteo offered a warm, surprisingly charming smile—a smile Penny had never seen him use before—and stepped into the room, bowing slightly as he handed the flowers to Evelyn.
“Mrs. Higgins,” he said smoothly. “It is an absolute honor to finally meet the mother of the most terrifying woman in Boston.”
Evelyn laughed delightfully, taking the roses. “Oh, so you’ve met my Penny!”
Penny rolled her eyes, standing up from her chair, though her heart was hammering against her ribs like a drum. “Matteo... what are you doing here?”
“Checking on my investments,” he said softly, turning his amber eyes onto her, holding her gaze with an intensity that made her cheeks flush crimson.
May you like
He gestured toward the quiet garden courtyard outside the glass doors. “Walk with me for a moment, Miss Higgins?”
Penny looked at her mother, who gave her a sharp, exaggerated wink behind Matteo’s back. Penny bit her lip to keep from laughing, nodded, and followed him out into the crisp, sunlit courtyard.
