Chapter 17

Christmas Eve arrived with a heavy, pristine blanket of white snow covering Manhattan. Inside the Moretti estate, a massive pine tree stood in the grand foyer, decorated with sparkling lights and handcrafted ornaments that Mia had spent the entire week making with Rosa.
For the first time in five years, the fourth-floor corridor was filled with the sweet scent of pine and cinnamon rather than dust and melancholy.
Mia stood at the base of the staircase, wearing a red velvet dress, clutching her trusty stuffed bear, Biscuit, under one arm.
When Antonio walked down the stairs in a tailored charcoal suit, Mia immediately ran toward him, holding out a small, crudely wrapped box tied with a crooked green ribbon.
“Merry Christmas, Mister!” she shouted happily.
Antonio paused, kneeling down to accept the gift with both hands. His chest tightened with an unfamiliar, overwhelming sense of peace. He carefully unwraped the ribbon to reveal a small, clay figurine of a smiling bear that Mia had painted herself.
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“Thank you, Dr. Mia,” Antonio said, his voice thick with unexpressed emotion. “This is the finest gift I’ve ever received.”
Elena walked out from the kitchen, watching the interaction with a soft, radiant smile that made the winter chill outside completely vanish.