Chapter 9 - THE LAST DOCUMENT
The final payroll report arrived three weeks later.
It showed that Vanessa had directed unauthorized payments to the company registered to her cousin. Some invoices were fabricated. Others had been inflated. Several staff members had not received the full wages recorded in the household accounts.
The accountant could not determine whether Vanessa had acted alone. The attempted break-in was still under investigation, and the man caught near the office had not provided a complete account of who hired him.
Luca's attorney recommended that the financial findings be referred to the appropriate authorities.
Luca agreed.
He also instructed payroll to calculate every missing payment owed to current and former employees.
Mrs. Alvarez received her outstanding wages, including the overtime she had been denied. She chose not to return to the house full-time, but she agreed to help train the new household supervisor for a few weeks.
Clara was promoted to oversee staff operations.
Hannah received a corrected record of her own hours. The review showed that several late shifts before her maternity leave had never been entered.
When Luca handed her the revised statement, she looked at it twice.
“I thought I was remembering the hours wrong.”
“You weren't.”
“I didn't want to complain.”
“You shouldn't have had to.”
He placed another document on the desk.
It was a written staff policy. It guaranteed scheduled breaks, protected storage for personal food and medication, accurate overtime records, and a clear process for raising concerns without retaliation.
Hannah read it slowly.
“Does everyone get a copy?”
“Everyone.”
“Even the new people?”
“Especially the new people.”
She smiled.
Then she noticed the final page.
There was a section about emergency family contact.
“Thank you,” she said.
Luca shook his head.
“Don't thank me for writing down what should have been obvious.”
He paused.
“I also want you to know that the investigation into the payments will continue outside the house. You and the other staff aren't responsible for proving anything. If someone contacts you, refer them to the attorney.”
Hannah nodded.
She was relieved that the burden was no longer hers.
That evening, she went home with a copy of the policy in her bag and a small container of soup Mrs. Alvarez had made for her.
Noah was awake when she arrived.
He waved his arms and made a soft sound when he saw her.
Hannah lifted him carefully.
May you like
“Hello, my love.”
For a long moment, the rest of the world disappeared.
