His eyes rested on the children’s faces. They were sleeping peacefully, more serene than ever. There was no fear or discomfort, only absolute peace. And on the woman’s face, what he saw wasn’t neglect, but profound exhaustion… the expression of someone who had given everything to care for them.
Ethan took a step back, hesitant. Finally, he climbed the stairs in silence. That image stayed with him all night.
At dawn, she picked up the phone and called the head of the service.
“Who was she?” she asked in a tense voice. “Why was the cleaning lady with my children?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Mr. Whitmore… This is Lucia Alvarez . The nanny got sick last night, and Mrs. Alvarez offered to watch the babies until we got back from the hospital. She didn’t want to wake him.”
Ethan remained silent. He hung up slowly. Then he went downstairs.
Lucia was in the kitchen, awkwardly preparing baby bottles. There were dark circles under her eyes, but a faint smile as she listened to the twins’ laughter. When she saw him, she paled.
“Mr. Whitmore… I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
He interrupted her with a gesture.
“Don’t apologize.”
CONTINUE READING ON THE NEXT PAGE 🥰💕
