Chapter 5 - The Locked Wing
Ethan carried Lily straight up the grand staircase, completely unaware of the interaction that had just taken place over his shoulder. He placed her on the edge of her bed, wrapping her in a warm woolen blanket while the estate’s private physician was summoned to check her lungs.
While the doctor listened to Lily’s breathing, Ethan stood near the window, his cell phone pressed to his ear as he gave immediate orders to the head of his personal security team. He instructed them to detain Claire in the guest quarters, revoke all her access codes to the house, and prepare full documentation for an immediate legal separation and criminal assault charge.
On the bed, Lily sat quietly, allowing the physician to wrap a soft warm cloth around her hands. She kept her fingers loosely curled around the silver key beneath the folds of her blanket. She didn't complain about the cold or the shock; her mind was focused entirely on the floor plan of the estate's west wing—a wing that had been locked off since her birth mother had died five years ago.
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The doctor declared Lily physically sound, recommending quiet rest for the night. As the physician left the room, Ethan knelt beside the bed, brushing a dry golden curl from his daughter's forehead, his voice thick with unexpressed guilt as he apologized for bringing Claire into their home.
Lily looked up at her father with complete innocence, her round blue eyes soft and clear. “It’s okay, Daddy,” she said in a sweet, gentle voice. “Mommy told me the key would come back to us when we needed it most.”
