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THE BILLIONAIRE FIRED ME FOR TOUCHING HIS SILENT CHILD—BUT THE OBJECT IN MY FIST MADE HIS DOCTORS STOP TALKING / Chapter 8 / 9

Chapter 8 - THE NEW DAWN

A week later, the Vale mansion felt entirely different. The oppressive silence, the sterile coldness, and the haunting fear that had choked the halls for years were completely gone.

Sunlight poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the sunroom, illuminating fresh flowers and the sound of children's laughter.

Milo was sitting on the plush rug in the center of the room, building an elaborate tower out of colored wooden blocks. Every time a block slipped and clattered to the floor, he didn't flinch or cover his ear. He just giggled, turning his head to track the sound with wide, curious eyes.

I stood by the doorway, holding a tray of fresh juice, watching him with a deep, aching sense of peace. My grandmother’s medical bills were fully paid, her care transferred to the best private facility in the country, courtesy of an anonymous benefactor who insisted on paying every cent.

Footsteps approached from behind me, familiar and steady.

“You know, you’re terrible at resigning,” Adrian’s voice murmured near my ear, warm and teasing.

I turned around to find him standing just inches away, wearing a simple linen shirt instead of his usual intimidating three-piece suit. He wasn't looking at the corporate files anymore. He was looking straight at me, his gaze intense, soft, and entirely focused.

“I’m great at resigning,” I retorted, crossing my arms defensively. “I’m just terrible at staying away when a little boy needs someone to read him bedtime stories.”

Adrian chuckled, a rich, deep sound that resonated through the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, damaged paper bird—the very same one Milo had handed me on my first day in this house, now carefully laminated and preserved.

“Milo wants to know if his favorite teacher is going to stay for dinner tonight,” Adrian asked softly, stepping a little closer. “And honestly... so do I.”

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I looked down at the paper bird, then up into Adrian’s eyes. The fear, the class divide, the chaos of the past few weeks seemed to dissolve into nothingness.

“Only if I get to choose the menu,” I smiled.

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