Millionaire on the Way to the Airport Sees a Beggar with a Baby in the Rain and Gives Her the Keys to His House… But When He Returns, He’s Shocked by What He Finds…
Sophie hesitated but answered calmly, ignoring the unease. “I’m Sophie, and this is my daughter, Emma.” Isabella stifled a sarcastic laugh, her gaze dripping with disdain. She assumed Ethan was sheltering this woman, and jealousy flared within her.
She couldn’t fathom Ethan caring for someone she deemed insignificant. After a tense moment, Isabella returned to the study, her expression now cold with distrust. “So, the young lady upstairs,” she began, her tone laced with irony. “Your latest guest?”
Ethan stayed composed, though Isabella’s probing unsettled him. Explaining Sophie’s presence to her would be tricky, and her judgmental stare suggested she assumed the worst. “Sophie and her daughter are facing hard times. I offered help,” he said evenly, but Isabella’s jealousy surged.
She narrowed her eyes, her mind racing. She couldn’t accept that Ethan, so reserved, had opened his home to a stranger. Anger and resentment consumed her, and she vowed to remove Sophie. “Don’t you think it’s risky, Ethan? Letting someone you barely know stay here? She might be exploiting your generosity,” Isabella hinted, her voice suggestive.
Ethan paused, her words stinging. He believed Sophie was genuine, but security and appearances mattered in his world, and Isabella’s sharp remarks sowed doubt. Sensing her impact, Isabella pressed on. “Look at her, Ethan—a stranger with a child, an easy way to manipulate you. How do you know she’s honest?”
Ethan felt the weight of her words. Part of him resisted doubting Sophie, but another couldn’t ignore the implications. He decided to clarify things and, with a sigh, went to Sophie’s room. Seeing his tense expression, Sophie’s heart sank. Something had shifted in Ethan, and she feared he doubted her.
He approached, his serious gaze unsettling her. “Sophie, I need to know more about your story. Is there anything you haven’t told me?” Sophie felt cornered, his words sounding like an accusation. She took a deep breath, but his scrutiny and Isabella’s disdain weighed on her. “I’ve told you what matters,” she said, her voice shaking. “I never meant to take advantage.”
Ethan studied her, part of him resisting the idea of her deceit, but Isabella’s doubt lingered. Sophie saw his conflict, and for the first time, felt this refuge might be temporary. She had no way to prove her honesty, and his doubt cut deeply.
Feeling humiliated, Sophie held Emma and decided she wouldn’t stay where she wasn’t trusted. “I understand,” she said firmly, masking her pain. “Thank you for your help, Ethan, but Emma and I have stayed long enough.”
With Emma in her arms, she left the room without looking back. In the days after Sophie and Emma left, Ethan felt adrift in unease. The estate, once his sanctuary, now felt hollow and silent…