Chapter 5 - The Five-Year-Old Caller
Ethan turned away from the window, expecting to see Tony, his head of security, or perhaps Madison coming in to complain about the temperature in the east wing.
Instead, standing on the threshold was a little girl in oversized fleece pajamas covered in faded yellow ducks. Her dark hair was tangled, her eyes were wide with a terror that no child should ever carry, and in her small arms, she clutched a worn, one-eyed stuffed rabbit.
It was Lily.
Ethan stared down at her, completely paralyzed. In all the months she had lived in the cottage on his estate, he had barely spoken two words to her. He knew Clara had a daughter, but he had intentionally kept a professional distance, viewing his home strictly as a workspace and a hotel.
"What... what are you doing out of bed, little one?" Ethan asked, his voice softening instinctively, shedding the hard corporate edge he used with board members. "The storm outside is very loud. Where is your mother?"
Lily didn't answer his question. Instead, she took two small steps into the plush Persian rug, her lower lip trembling violently.
"Mr. Ethan," Lily whispered, her small voice cutting through the silence of the massive study like a razor. "Please come upstairs. Mommy is bleeding again."
The world seemed to stop spinning.
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. A cold shock of adrenaline spiked through his veins, washing away every corporate concern, every financial report, and every distraction in a single second.
"What did you say?" Ethan asked, stepping forward, dropping to one knee so he was eye level with the five-year-old. "Where is your mother? Who hurt her?"
"The shiny lady," Lily whispered, a tear finally spilling over her lashes and tracking down her cheek. "She came to our cottage after the dinner party. She said Mommy stole things. She pushed Mommy against the kitchen counter, and... and Mommy’s head hit the corner. There's so much red on the floor, Mr. Ethan. And Mommy won't wake up."
The room spun.
Memory rushed back into Ethan’s mind with terrifying clarity—Madison storming out of the dining room earlier, her venomous words, her absolute hatred for Clara, and her smug, untouchable smile. Madison had left the main house ten minutes before Clara was dismissed. She had gone down to the staff cottage.
Ethan stood up so fast his desk chair crashed backward onto the floor.
May you like
He didn't hesitate. He didn't call security. He bolted out of his study, sprinting down the grand mahogany staircase, taking the steps three at a time with a primal fury that terrified even himself.
Behind him, little Lily clutched her stuffed rabbit and ran as fast as her small legs could carry her, chasing the dark shadow of the billionaire into the stormy night.
