Eventually, their cries softened.
Too afraid to return them to the freezing nursery, she laid a thin blanket near the faint heat of the fireplace, placed them down gently, and curled around them—shielding them with her own body.
She meant to rest for just a moment.
But exhaustion claimed her.
The Door That Changed Everything
The sound of the front door unlocking shattered the stillness.
Lena jolted awake.
Standing there was Adrian Whitmore.
He froze.
His housekeeper—on the floor.
His sons—beside her.
“What is going on?” His voice cut through the room.
As he stepped closer, confusion hardened into irritation.
“Why are my children on the floor? And why are you asleep?”
Lena lowered her gaze.
But he noticed the bruise on her cheek.
His tone shifted.
“What happened to you?”
The Truth He Couldn’t Ignore
Her voice was quiet.
“They were crying… There’s no caregiver anymore. No one replaced her. It’s just me.”
In his study, everything came out—the broken heater, the fever, the endless hours, the fear of leaving the twins alone.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she said. “But I would do it again… if it meant they felt safe.”
When he asked about the bruise, she hesitated.