Chapter 4 - The Confession on the Carpet
Emily physically froze, her defensive, crossed-arm posture dropping instantly to her sides.
"Is Zion okay?" she asked frantically, genuine, unselfish panic rushing back into her wide eyes.
"He is currently in the pediatric ICU, but the doctors assure me he is finally stable," I answered, stepping slowly into the cramped apartment.
I stood in her living room and recounted the entire, horrifying conversation with the emergency room doctor.
I explained the synthetic toxic chemical, the terrifying respiratory failure, and the damning security footage of Margaret.
Emily covered her trembling mouth with both of her hands, gasping loudly in absolute shock.
"I knew instinctively that there was something deeply wrong with that lotion," she whispered, tears streaming down her own cheeks.
"It smelled bizarrely like bitter almonds and burning plastic, and Zion's delicate skin was turning violently, unnaturally red."
"I panicked because I just knew I needed to get it off his body as fast as humanly possible."
Without thinking, my legs gave out, and I dropped heavily to my knees right there on her worn, faded carpet.
"I was a complete and utter fool, Emily."
"I was blinded by my obsessive need for control, and I almost let my only son die because of my arrogance."
"I am so incredibly, profoundly sorry for the disgusting way I treated you today."
Emily looked down at me, clearly shocked to see a notorious billionaire kneeling in genuine repentance in her tiny living room.
"Please get up, Mr. Whitaker," she said softly, reaching out a hesitant hand.
"I do not need your apologies; I just needed to know that the baby boy I held was safe."
"He is not truly safe yet," I admitted, slowly standing back up and brushing off my suit.
"Margaret is out there somewhere, and whoever hired her to execute this hit is still out there too."
"I need you to come back to the estate, Emily."
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"Not as a simple maid to clean my floors, but as Zion's personal, highly paid protector."
"He needs someone who genuinely loves him, and I need someone I can actually trust with his life."
