Chapter 1 - The Ultimatum
Arthur stood rigidly in the hallway. "What happened?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low.
Clara swallowed hard, her arms tightening instinctively around Mia. "There was a thunderstorm, Mr. Sterling. The thunder... it sounded like twisting metal. Maya started hyperventilating. Mia tried to hide in the closet and cut her hand on a broken picture frame. The estate manager called the doctor, but they wouldn't let him near them. They were screaming."
Arthur’s chest tightened. He hadn't even heard the thunder from his soundproofed home office.
"I just sat on the floor with them," Clara whispered, looking down. "I didn't try to fix it. I just held them and let them cry. Eventually, they asked for their mother's room. I know it’s strictly off-limits, sir. I’m packing my things now."
Arthur looked at his daughters. For the first time in a year, they weren't looking at him with hollow, terrified eyes. They were clinging to a housekeeper in a wrinkled uniform.
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"You aren't packing anything, Clara," Arthur said, his voice finally losing its corporate edge. "You are no longer a maid in this house. As of this second, you are the girls' primary caregiver. Whatever your salary was, it’s just been tripled. But if you ever leave them alone during a storm again, I will fire you."
Clara blinked, stunned, before a soft, relieved smile broke across her face. It was the first time Arthur realized how striking her eyes were.
