flash
Then Nathaniel said: “She doesn’t have to be mine for me to care about her, Victoria.” The warmth in his voice when he mentioned Lily was something Victoria Hale had never been able to summon for herself. She stood in the doorway of the library, her perfectly manicured nails pressing into the palm of her hand until her skin turned ghostly white. / Chapter 7 / 8

Chapter 7 - A NEW DAWN

Three months passed.

The social fall of the Hale family was swift and catastrophic. Without the Whitfield bailout, Arthur Hale was forced to file for bankruptcy. Their Greenwich mansion was auctioned off on the courthouse steps, and Victoria was forced to move into a tiny rental apartment in New Jersey, her name permanently tarnished in high-society circles.

Meanwhile, life at the Whitfield estate underwent a quiet, magnificent transformation.

Elena was no longer wearing the black maid’s dress.

After the night of the party, Nathaniel had officially promoted Mrs. Donnelly to General Manager of all Whitfield properties and offered Elena a position as the Director of the Whitfield Charitable Foundation—a role for which she was uniquely qualified, given her background in social work before her ex-husband had ruined her finances.

She was now dressed in a crisp, elegant cream trousersuit, sitting across from Nathaniel in his grand study. Sunlight poured through the tall windows, casting a warm glow over the mahogany desk where Lily was sitting, happily coloring in a giant drawing book with brand-new metallic markers.

“The foundation’s housing grant was approved this morning,” Elena said, looking up from her iPad with a bright, radiant smile. “We can start construction on the shelter next month.”

Nathaniel wasn’t looking at the documents. He was looking at her.

“You’ve done incredible work, Elena,” he said softly.

Elena lowered her eyes, a faint blush warming her cheeks. “I had a good mentor.”

“Mummy, look!” Lily squealed, holding up a drawing of three people holding hands under a bright yellow sun. “It’s you, me, and Mr. Nate!”

Nathaniel smiled, standing up from his chair and walking around the desk. He bent down, looking closely at the drawing. “That’s a masterpiece, Lily. But I think it’s missing something.”

“What?” Lily asked, tilting her head.

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