Chapter 4 - The Firing of Vale House
With the estate abruptly emptied of its veteran staff, an eerie, hollo
w quiet descended upon Vale House. Maggie found herself standing alone in the massive industrial kitchen, wringing out the hem of her sodden blue dress, wondering if she too was about to be cast out. Instead, Ethan wheeled himself into the kitchen, his clothes changed into dry, dark loungewear, though his face remained pale and drawn.
May you like
"You should change into dry clothes, Miss Collins," Ethan said, his voice carrying its usual gravelly authority, though softened by a strange, unaccustomed hesitation. "There are spare garments in the guest wing quarters." "Thank you, Mr. Vale," Maggie replied softly, clutching her arms against the chill. "Are you alright?" "I have been better," he admitted, looking out toward the sparkling pool through the glass doors. "You saved my life today. Why?" "Because I saw someone drowning," Maggie said simply. "Everything else seemed secondary."
Ethan studied her for a long moment, reading the quiet dignity and unpretentious honesty in her posture. He recognized immediately that Maggie was unlike anyone else who had ever crossed his threshold—she wasn't after his money, his status, or his favor. She was simply a human being who understood the value of another life.
