Chapter 6 - The Aftermath
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The sound of the front door slamming shut echoed through the vast, quiet estate. For a long moment, nobody moved. The adrenaline that had been surging through my veins slowly began to recede, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating wave of guilt.
I turned around and looked at my daughters. They were holding hands, staring at me with wide, tear-streaked eyes.
I dropped to my knees on the hardwood floor, no longer caring about my expensive suit, and pulled both of them into my arms.
"I am so sorry," I whispered, my voice finally breaking. "I am so, so sorry I brought that woman into our home. I am sorry I didn't see what was happening. I promise you, neither of you will ever be spoken to like that again."
"Is she coming back?" Sofia asked, her tiny voice muffled against my chest.
"Never," I vowed fiercely, kissing the top of her head. "She is gone forever."
I stood up, holding their hands, and looked across the room at Marisol. The housekeeper was still standing near the fireplace, her hands clasped respectfully in front of her apron. She looked exhausted, but the fierce, protective light in her eyes had not dimmed.
I walked over to her. I didn't know how to express the magnitude of what I felt. I had hired her to clean my floors, and she had ended up protecting my children from a monster.
"Marisol," I began, swallowing the hard lump in my throat.
"I was only doing my job, Mr. Vance," she said quickly, lowering her eyes. "I know I overstepped my boundaries by putting my hands on Miss Chloe, but I could not stand by and let her hurt the girls."
"You didn't overstep anything," I said firmly. "You were the only true protector they had in this house while I was blind. I owe you a debt I can never fully repay."
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Marisol looked up, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears. "They are good girls, Mr. Vance. They did not deserve her anger."
"Take the rest of the week off, Marisol. With full pay," I told her. "Go home and rest. We have a lot of changes to make around here."
