Nathan followed the sound. The usual scent of polish and lavender cleaner faded, replaced by vanilla and melted butter.
When he reached the doorway, he stopped cold.
Flour blanketed the floor. Eggshells dotted the black marble counter. Milk pooled near the sink. In the center of it all stood Ethan and Owen, wearing oversized aprons, faces streaked with chocolate.
And beside them was Grace Mitchell, the young housekeeper hired just a month earlier.
Grace looked nothing like the timid employee Victoria often criticized. Her hair had slipped from its bun, a dusting of flour across her cheek. She laughed as a crooked pancake nearly toppled from a spatula.
“Careful! The pancake tower’s collapsing!” she teased.
The boys clung to her legs, laughing with a freedom Nathan had never seen in them.
“The secret ingredient,” Grace announced dramatically, “is dinosaur sprinkles and extra love!”
Something twisted inside Nathan. Jealousy. Shame. This woman, earning a modest salary, had given his sons what his wealth never had—joy.
He stepped forward, his shoe echoing against the tile.
Everything froze.
Grace paled. She quickly lifted the boys down. “Sir, I’m so sorry. I’ll clean everything immediately.”