Chapter 4 - The Discovery
Down in the nursery, the door swung open wider, and panic entered the room.
Maya, who had returned to the staff lounge only to find Lily missing, had followed the sound of the strange quiet down the hall. When she saw the open white doors of the forbidden north wing, her blood ran ice cold.
“Lily!” Maya gasped, horror gripping her chest as she sprinted into the room. “Oh, sweetie, no, no, no—Mr. Kwon is going to fire me, we’re going to be homeless—”
Maya scooped her daughter up into her arms, bowing her head in terror as she turned to face what she expected to be an angry security team or Mr. Harris himself.
Instead, standing in the doorway of the nursery was Evan Kwon.
He had descended the private staircase from his office faster than he had moved in years. His suit jacket was slightly unbuttoned, his tie askew, and his usually cold, unreadable eyes wide with an expression that looked dangerously close to wonder.
Maya dropped her gaze instantly, clutching Lily tightly against her chest.
“I am so, so sorry, sir,” Maya stammered, her voice shaking violently. “She wandered off, she didn't mean to—I’ll pack our bags right now, just please don't throw us out into the street—”
“Stop talking,” Evan said.
His voice wasn't harsh. It was uncharacteristically soft, rough around the edges like a voice that hadn't been used in a long time.
Maya froze, holding her breath.
Evan stepped past her, ignoring the mess on the floor, and walked directly up to the cribs. Caleb and Connor weren't crying. They were standing up, grabbing the rails, and reaching their small hands out toward Lily, making happy babbling noises as if demanding their new friend come back.
Evan turned slowly, looking from the laughing twins to Maya, and finally down at little Lily, who was currently wiping oatmeal off her nose onto Maya’s sleeve.
“What is your name?” Evan asked.
“M-Maya Brooks, sir. Housekeeping department.”
Evan looked at her for a long, silent moment. He took in her faded clothes, her tired eyes, and the way she instinctively protected her daughter against the world. Then he looked back at his sons, who were now smiling—actually smiling—for the first time since they were born.
“You’re not a housekeeper anymore, Maya,” Evan said quietly.
Maya blinked, startled. “Sir?”
“You are now the head of household staff and personal guardian of the nursery,” Evan declared, his tone leaving zero room for argument. “Your salary is quadrupled. Your rent debts are cleared as of this afternoon. And your daughter…”
May you like
Evan looked down at Lily, a rare, faint ghost of a smile touching the corner of his stern mouth.
“…is officially the highest-paid consultant in this corporation.”
