Chapter 4 - The Sound of Music
With Julian Thorne permanently removed and criminal charges filed with the Westchester District Attorney, peace returned to the Cole estate.
Within a week, Maria’s health improved dramatically under the constant care of her medical team. While she was still too weak to undertake heavy labor, her lungs cleared, her color returned, and her spirit revived.
Daniel made a permanent structural change to the estate.
He hired a reputable corporate property management firm to oversee all maintenance, payroll, and staffing. He doubled Maria’s base salary, re-titled her role as Estate Household Director, and officially retired her from all physical cleaning duties.
Most surprisingly to the estate staff, Daniel himself changed.
The man who used to spend eighty hours a week in his Manhattan high-rise office began working from home four days a week. His private study, once a cold fortress of locked mahogany doors and financial reports, was now frequently open.
One sunny afternoon, three weeks after the incident, Daniel sat at his grand desk, conducting a high-stakes video conference call with international investors from Tokyo and London.
“As you can see from page fourteen of the Q3 projections,” Daniel said, looking into his webcam, “our European acquisition will yield a twelve percent increase in dividend distributions—”
Suddenly, the heavy mahogany door of his study creaked open.
A small head wrapped in dark curls peeked inside.
Elena stood in the doorway, wearing a bright blue dress, carrying a plastic tea set and a plush brown bear. She didn't know what a video conference was. She only knew that her favorite person was inside the room.
The international investors paused on the screen. A rigid London director frowned slightly.
Daniel looked at Elena. Instead of scolding her or calling a nanny to remove her, Daniel smiled.
“Gentlemen, excuse me for one moment,” Daniel said into his microphone.
He stood up from his leather executive chair, walked across the plush rug, and knelt down in front of Elena.
“Hello, little princess,” Daniel whispered softly. “What do you have there?”
“Tea party,” Elena announced proudly, holding up a tiny yellow plastic cup. “Mr. Bear wants tea. Mr. Daniel wants tea too?”
Daniel’s heart melted completely.
“I would be honored to join Mr. Bear’s tea party,” Daniel said.
He picked Elena up in his arms, walked back to his desk, and sat her right on his knee in front of the multi-million-dollar video conference screen.
The London director’s jaw dropped. The Tokyo investors looked astonished.
“Gentlemen,” Daniel said calmly into the microphone, holding a tiny plastic tea cup between his thumb and index finger. “This is Elena. She is the real CEO of the Cole estate. We will resume our acquisition discussion in fifteen minutes after our high-level board meeting concludes.”
A soft laugh broke out from the Tokyo delegation. Even the strict London director smiled softly.
“Understood, Mr. Cole,” the director replied. “Take your time with the CEO.”
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Daniel muted the microphone, set the laptop aside, and spent the next twenty minutes sipping imaginary tea with a three-year-old child whose laughter echoed through the high-vaulted ceilings of the mansion.
For the first time in five long years, the Cole mansion did not feel like a museum. It felt like a home.
