Chapter 1: The Color of Truth
For three agonizing seconds, no one breathed.
Maria felt the room turn ice-cold. She looked at the rainbow painted across the face of the most powerful real estate mogul in Nashville, and then at the tiny paintbrush still dripping blue watercolor in her daughter’s hand.
"Sophia, put that down right now," Maria whispered, her voice trembling as she rushed forward, pulling her daughter behind her back. She dropped to her knees before the sofa, her hands shaking as she pulled a linen cloth from her apron. "Mr. Cole, I am so deeply sorry. She didn't mean any harm. I will clean it off immediately. Please... please don't call the agency."
Ethan didn't move. He sat perfectly still, the wet paint tightening slightly on his skin as it dried. He looked at Maria’s terror, and then he looked past her shoulder at Sophia.
The three-year-old wasn't crying. She was peeking out from behind her mother’s skirt, her big brown eyes wide with innocent confusion.
"Why are you scared, Mommy?" Sophia asked softly. "The House Man is beautiful now."
Ethan slowly reached up, his long fingers touching his cheek. The yellow paint came off on his fingertips. For a man who had spent his entire adult life surrounded by people who wore masks of perfection, this child had looked at his face and seen exactly what he was trying to hide from the world.
He was sad. He was empty.
"Maria," Ethan said, his voice deep and unreadable.
"Yes, sir," she choked out, preparing for the inevitable firing, the eviction that would surely follow, the crushing weight of reality.
"Leave the paint," Ethan said quietly.
Maria blinked, stunned. "What?"
"Leave it," he repeated, standing up from the sofa. He walked over to the gilded mirror hanging above the fireplace. He looked at his reflection. The ruthless, dangerous billionaire looked ridiculous—covered in a messy sun, a lopsided butterfly, and a crooked rainbow.
And for the first time in five years, Ethan Cole laughed.
It started as a low rumble in his chest and turned into a genuine, bright laugh that bounced off the cold limestone walls of the mansion. Sophia’s face lit up, and she clapped her small hands. "See, Mommy? He likes the colors!"
Before Ethan could say another word, the heavy double doors of the sitting room burst open. Marcus Vance, Ethan’s childhood best friend and the Chief Financial Officer of Cole Developments, strode into the room holding a thick manila folder.
"Ethan, we have a massive problem with the Northside luxury district bidding—" Marcus stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Ethan's face, his expression twisting into disgust as he looked at Maria and Sophia. "What the hell is this? Ethan, why are you letting the help’s brat ruin your face? And what is she even doing in this wing of the house?"
Maria immediately stepped back, bowing her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Vance. I was just taking her out."
"Get her out," Marcus snapped arrogantly. "And honestly, Ethan, you need to fire her. If the board sees you looking like a circus clown because you can't control your house staff, it’s going to hurt the stock."
Ethan’s laughter vanished. The wall came back up, instantly. He looked at Marcus, then at Maria’s pale face.
"She stays, Marcus," Ethan said coldly. "Go to the boardroom. I’ll wash my face and meet you there in five minutes."
May you like
As Marcus walked away, muttering under his breath, Ethan turned to Sophia. He knelt down, completely ignoring the expensive suit he was wearing. "Thank you for the colors, Sophia. But next time, let's use paper, okay?"
Sophia nodded solemnly, holding up her floppy rabbit. "Noodle says okay too."
