Grace Bennett Was Never Just a Housemaid
Chapter 10 - Grace Bennett Was Never Just a Housemaid
Grace resigned at nine the next morning.
Not in anger.
Anger would have been easier.
She typed one paragraph at the small desk in her staff room.
Effective immediately.
Final wages only.
No severance.
No “gift.”
No apartment offered.
No car.
Then she folded two gray uniforms and placed them on the bed.
Mrs. Donnelly knocked.
Grace did not answer.
The older woman entered anyway.
Habit.
Grace looked at her.
“Please leave.”
Mrs. Donnelly stopped.
“I want to explain.”
“Not today.”
“Grace—”
“You hired me because of my dead father.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me become close to three traumatized children and still said nothing.”
Mrs. Donnelly’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“You let me think I was here because I was good at my job.”
“You were.”
“That is not enough.”
“No.”
Good.
At least nobody was defending themselves anymore.
Grace held out the resignation.
“Give this to Dominic.”
Mrs. Donnelly did not take it.
“You should give it yourself.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I see those girls, I might stay for them.”
The truth broke her voice.
Mrs. Donnelly looked away.
Grace continued.
“And that would turn love into another reason I cannot leave.”
Silence.
“That is what everyone in this house keeps doing.”
The older woman took the paper.
Grace packed one suitcase.
She had entered the mansion with one too.
Downstairs, Olivia sat on the bottom step.
Grace stopped.
Of course.
Children knew when adults lied about goodbye.
Olivia’s voice remained soft but stronger now.
“You’re leaving.”
“Yes.”
“Because of us?”
Grace put down the suitcase.
“No.”
“Because Daddy?”
“No.”
That answer surprised both of them.
Grace crouched.
“I’m leaving because grown-ups made decisions about my life without telling me.”
Olivia understood more than a seven-year-old should.
“Like Mommy.”
Grace’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
“Will you come back?”
Grace refused the easy lie.
“I don’t know.”
Olivia began crying.
Silent first.
Then sound.
That sound hurt and healed at the same time.
Grace opened her arms.
Waited.
Olivia came to her.
Sophie joined.
Then Nora.
Three little girls around Grace’s neck.
Dominic stood in the hallway.
He had heard.
He did not interfere.
After a while Grace looked up.
“Can I speak to them again if they ask?”
Dominic answered:
“Yes.”
Not if I approve.
Not if the therapist agrees alone.
Yes.
Then:
“I’ll have Dr. Feldman help us do it in a way that doesn’t confuse them.”
Better.
Grace nodded.
“Thank you.”
Dominic looked at the suitcase.
“Your final pay is ready.”
“No extra.”
“I know.”
“Did you think about it?”
“Yes.”
Despite herself, Grace almost smiled.
“Good.”
He handed her an envelope.
Exact amount.
She checked.
He looked offended.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Fair.”
Then Dominic said:
“Morales has Daniel Vitale’s file.”
Grace’s expression changed.
“You told her.”
“Yes.”
“What happens?”
“I don’t know.”
“Good answer.”
“I hate that sentence now.”
“So do I.”
Silence.
Something existed between them.
Not romance yet.
Too much power.
Too much grief.
Too much unfinished truth.
Dominic looked at her.
“I’m sorry you were used in this house.”
Grace swallowed.
“By Mrs. Donnelly?”
“By all of us in different ways.”
That answer mattered.
She picked up her suitcase.
At the front door, Dominic said:
“Grace.”
She turned.
“I care about you.”
Her chest tightened.
He continued quickly.
“I am not asking you to do anything with that.”
Good.
Grace nodded.
“I care about you too.”
His eyes changed.
“But.”
“Of course.”
She almost smiled.
“But right now that is not a reason to stay.”
Dominic looked down.
“No.”
Grace left.
No car followed.
No guard.
No envelope appeared later.
She took a taxi to her apartment in Queens.
Small.
Noisy.
Entirely hers.
That afternoon, Detective Morales called.
“Julian surrendered.”
Grace sat up.
“Where?”
“Nassau County.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Did he confess?”
“To conspiracy. impersonation. evidence concealment.”
“Isabelle?”
“He says Cesare shot her.”
“Matches Peter.”
“Yes.”
“Anything else?”
Morales was quiet.
“He says he knows what happened to Daniel Vitale.”
Grace’s stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Julian was present when Dominic’s men brought Daniel in.”
“Why?”
“Cesare sent him.”
Grace closed her eyes.
Even after Isabelle died, Cesare had kept manipulating the revenge he created.
Morales continued.
“Julian says Daniel told Dominic’s people he knew nothing.”
“Was Dominic there?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“The interrogation escalated.”
“Daniel died.”
“Yes.”
“Did Julian participate?”
“He says no.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Evidence pending.”
Good.
No simple absolution.
“Why did Cesare send Julian?”
“To make sure Dominic’s people kept blaming the Vitales.”
Grace felt sick.
One murder feeding another.
“What will happen to Dominic?”
“Depends what he ordered and what he knew.”
Grace looked at the suitcase still unpacked.
“Will you charge him?”
“If evidence supports it.”
She respected Morales for that.
Then another call came through.
Unknown number.
Grace almost ignored it.
She answered.
“Grace Bennett?”
“Yes.”
A woman.
Older.
“This is Elena Vitale.”
Grace froze.
Daniel’s mother.
“I was told you found the original Romano evidence.”
Grace sat.
“Some of it.”
“My son died because Dominic Romano believed a lie.”
“Yes.”
The word hurt.
Elena’s voice remained steady.
“I want to meet you.”
“Why me?”
“Because I do not trust him.”
Grace understood.
“And I don’t trust the police who buried his wife’s case.”
Also fair.
Elena continued.
“But Peter Bennett tried to help us once.”
Grace stopped.
“My father knew you?”
“Yes.”
“After Daniel died?”
“Yes.”
“He came to my house.”
Grace’s eyes filled.
“What did he say?”
“That he had helped create the lie that killed my son.”
Silence.
“Your father spent the last years of his life trying to correct both deaths.”
Grace looked toward the box of Peter’s things in her apartment.
The story had not ended at Isabelle.
May you like
Her father had carried Daniel Vitale too.
And somewhere among his papers might be the evidence that decided what happened to Dominic next.
