Chapter 4: The Golden Cage and Cold Smiles
The transformation happened almost overnight. Cameron’s subway card was replaced by a private driver; her cheap pharmacy moisturizer was replaced by luxury skincare regimens. A personal shopper from Bergdorf Goodman arrived with racks of neutral cashmere.
It was a beautiful cage, but it was still a cage.
The staff knew it, too. The head housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins, met her the first morning with a measured smile and freezing eyes. Mrs. Higgins was in her late fifties, immaculate, composed, and wore her ten years of authority like armor.
“We maintain standards here,” Mrs. Higgins told her, handing over a printed schedule on a silver tray. Her gaze dropped to Cameron’s hands. “You’ll find that not every role is improved by affection.”
“Children usually are,” Cameron replied quietly. Mrs. Higgins’s smile thinned into a razor blade.
May you like
Despite the cold shoulder from the staff, Leo changed. The trauma didn't unwind easily—he still had night terrors and sudden storms—but Cameron learned his signals. She sat on the playroom floor for hours, building train tracks and whispering animal sounds. She learned he liked his toast cut into long strips and hated loud voices.
One night, he climbed into her lap and placed his small hand flat against her throat while she read to him, just to feel the vibration of a voice that wasn't planning to leave. It broke her heart, anchoring her to the Duca penthouse more deeply than any amount of money ever could.
