Chapter 3 - The Aftermath of Deceit
By midnight, the mansion was finally quiet. The toxic presence of Victoria was gone, her ring left sitting on the kitchen island.
Alexander sat in the dimly lit nursery. Clara and Sophie were finally asleep, their small hands clutching each other even in their dreams. He had spent the last three hours apologizing to them, promising that Victoria would never step foot near them again.
He walked out into the hallway and found Elena folding laundry in the sitting area. She looked exhausted.
"You don't have to do that tonight, Elena," Alexander said softly.
She looked up, startled. "Mr. Sterling. I just... I like to keep busy."
Alexander sat across from her. For the first time in three years, he truly looked at her. He saw the dark circles under her eyes, the gentle curve of her jaw, the fierce, unspoken loyalty that had kept his daughters safe when he was too blind to see the truth.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice thick with regret.
Elena looked down at her hands. "I tried, sir. A few months ago. But she intercepted me. She told me if I breathed a word to you, she would frame me for theft and make sure I went to prison. I have a sick mother, Mr. Sterling. I couldn't risk jail. So, I decided the only thing I could do was stay and act as a shield."
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Alexander felt a lump in his throat. While he had been flying around the world closing billion-dollar deals, this young woman, making a fraction of his salary, had been the only real parent his children had.
"You're not a shield anymore, Elena," he promised. "You're family."
