For weeks the house had felt empty despite being full of staff. Nannies had come and gone, each one professional but distant. None of them seemed to stay long.
Emily was different.
She moved around the kitchen naturally, like someone who belonged there.
“His name is Oliver,” Ethan said suddenly, nodding toward the baby she was holding.
“And the other one is Lucas.”
Emily smiled warmly.
“They’re beautiful names.”
She sat down gently with Oliver still resting against her shoulder and continued feeding Lucas small spoonfuls from the bowl.
The babies seemed calm with her.
Comfortable.
As if they knew her.
Ethan realized something that unsettled him.
She had probably spent more time with them than he had.
He cleared his throat slightly.
“Are they… difficult?”
Emily shook her head.
“No, sir. They’re good babies.”
Then she added quietly:
“But babies need attention.”
Ethan leaned against the marble counter.
“I hired the best staff,” he said automatically. “They have everything they need.”
Emily didn’t argue.
She simply wiped Lucas’s mouth and adjusted his blanket.
“Yes,” she said gently. “They have everything.”
The words lingered in the air.
But somehow Ethan felt they meant something more.