Chapter 3 - The Master Suite
Walking into the master suite on the top floor of the Caldwell mansion felt like stepping into another world.
As a housekeeper, I had cleaned this room dozens of times—the massive king-sized bed, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the private pine forest, the white marble fireplace, and the velvet couches. But I had always entered through the service door, holding a bucket and a mop.
Now, Ethan opened the double mahogany doors for me himself.
"Marcus," Ethan called out to his head of security, who had appeared at the end of the corridor.
"Yes, Mr. Caldwell?" Marcus said, his eyes darting briefly to me and Leo, though his professional expression remained perfectly neutral.
"Transfer all of Rosa and Leo’s belongings from the lower quarters to this room immediately," Ethan ordered. "Then send for Dr. Hayes. I want a full medical checkup for my son. He took a fall in the parlor."
"Right away, sir," Marcus bowed slightly and hurried off.
I stood in the center of the vast bedroom, feeling utterly out of place in my faded jeans and worn sneakers. Leo, however, had already waddled over to the plush cream rug in front of the fireplace, happily spinning Ethan’s gold watch on the soft fabric.
"Ethan, this is too much," I said, turning to him. "I can't stay in your room. What will the staff say? What will the press say if Victoria goes to the news?"
Ethan walked up to me, pulling off his suit jacket and tossing it onto a chair. He reached out and gently wiped a streak of dust from my cheek, his touch sending a warm spark straight down my spine.
"Let them talk," Ethan murmured softly. "I spent four years living in a lie, Rosa. I spent four years thinking the only woman I ever truly cared about had traded me for fifty thousand dollars. Do you have any idea what it felt like to come back from London and find your quarters empty?"
My breath hitched. "You... you looked for me?"
"I spent six months hiring private investigators," Ethan admitted, his gray-green eyes burning with raw honesty. "Eleanor covered your tracks completely. She told the agency you had moved to Mexico. I thought I had lost you forever."
He took my hands in his, bringing them to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my knuckles.
"You are not a servant in this house, Rosa. You never were. You are the mother of my child, and from this moment on, anyone who disrespects you or Leo will answer to me."
Before I could answer, a soft knock sounded at the door. Dr. Hayes, the Caldwell family’s private physician, stepped inside carrying his black medical bag.
For the next thirty minutes, Dr. Hayes thoroughly examined Leo. He checked his head where he had hit the marble floor, tested his reflexes, and examined his wrists.
"He has a minor bump on his lower back, Mr. Caldwell," Dr. Hayes reported, smiling as Leo tried to play with his stethoscope. "No concussion, no internal injury. He’s a tough little boy."
Ethan let out a long, audible sigh of relief, sitting on the edge of the bed and running a hand through his dark hair. "Thank God."
"However," Dr. Hayes added, looking between Ethan and Leo with a sharp, professional eye. "If I may speak off the record, Ethan... the resemblance is undeniable. You don't even need a DNA test."
"We will do one anyway," Ethan said firmly, standing up. "Not for me—I know he’s my blood. I want the legal paperwork bulletproof before Monday morning’s board meeting. I want Leo formally recognized as the sole heir to the Caldwell estate."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Sole heir? The Caldwell fortune was estimated at over four billion dollars. Throwing Leo into that world meant exposing him to every wolf in high society.
"Ethan, wait," I pleaded, stepping forward as the doctor left. "Leo is three years old. He doesn't care about money or heirs. He just wants to play with his cloth rabbit and eat crackers! If you make this public, people like Victoria and Eleanor will target him!"
Ethan stepped close, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me firmly against his chest.
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"Then I will build a wall around him that no one can break," Ethan vowed, his voice thick with possessive promise. "And I will build it around you, too, Rosa."
He leaned down, his lips resting inches from mine. "You hid my son to protect him. Now let me protect you both."
