Chapter 2 - The Questions Patricia Didn’t Want Answered
Ethan didn’t return to Chicago.
Instead, he moved his meeting to Houston and told everyone the flight had been canceled.
Patricia arrived at noon.
She entered his study wearing a cream designer suit and a smile that disappeared when she saw him.
“Ethan?”
“Surprised?”
“I thought you were in Chicago.”
“So did everyone.”
Patricia slowly placed her handbag on a chair.
“What happened?”
“I changed my plans.”
She smiled again.
“Then perhaps we can have lunch.”
“Sit.”
The smile vanished.
Patricia sat.
Ethan remained standing.
“You told me Clara was becoming too attached to my daughters.”
“She is.”
“You said she was manipulating them.”
“I said you should be careful.”
“You said she might be interested in my money.”
Patricia folded her hands.
“Why are we discussing the maid?”
“Housekeeper.”
Patricia blinked.
“What?”
“Her position is housekeeper.”
“That hardly matters.”
“It matters to her.”
Patricia studied him.
“You watched her.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I saw a woman cutting cake.”
“That proves nothing.”
“I saw Sophie’s hand tremble.”
Patricia looked confused.
“What tremble?”
That was the moment Ethan understood something.
Patricia had spent dozens of afternoons with his daughters.
She didn’t know either.
“Sophie’s hand trembles when she becomes anxious.”
Patricia’s expression tightened.
“She’s five, Ethan. Children do strange things.”
“Clara noticed.”
“Clara notices everything because she’s paid to.”
“Then why am I paying people who don’t?”
Patricia stood.
“This is ridiculous.”
Ethan didn’t move.
“Sit down.”
“Don’t speak to me like one of your men.”
“Then don’t lie to me like one.”
Silence.
Patricia slowly sat.
Ethan leaned against his desk.
“Why do you want Clara gone?”
“I already told you.”
“No. You gave me reasons designed to frighten me.”
Patricia’s jaw tightened.
“She is inappropriate.”
“How?”
“She allows the girls to depend on her.”
“They lost their mother.”
“They still have a father.”
Ethan’s eyes hardened.
“Do they?”
Patricia went quiet.
That question hurt because Ethan already knew the answer.
Before Patricia could respond, someone knocked.
Clara appeared.
“Mr. Whitaker?”
Patricia turned sharply.
“What is she doing here?”
Ethan ignored her.
“What is it?”
Clara held a folded sheet of paper.
“Avery’s school called.”
“What happened?”
“She had another episode during lunch.”
Ethan immediately straightened.
“Episode?”
Clara looked at Patricia, then back at him.
“She became overwhelmed. She hid beneath the table and wouldn’t let anyone touch her.”
“Another?”
Ethan caught the word.
Clara froze.
“How many?”
“Three this month.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“I emailed your office.”
“I never received anything.”
“I sent three emails.”
Patricia’s gaze flickered toward the window.
Ethan noticed.
“To whom?”
“Your family office address.”
Ethan picked up his phone.
“Daniel.”
His chief of staff answered immediately.
“Yes, sir?”
“Search every message Clara Bennett sent regarding Avery or Sophie during the last six months.”
A pause.
“I can do that.”
“Now.”
Patricia stood.
“I’m leaving.”
“No.”
She turned.
Ethan’s voice remained quiet.
“You’re staying.”
Five minutes later, Daniel called back.
“Boss?”
“Talk.”
“There are seventeen messages.”
Ethan looked at Clara.
“Seventeen?”
Daniel continued.
“Most were automatically forwarded to Patricia Hale.”
Ethan slowly looked across the room.
Patricia’s face went pale.
“Why?” Ethan asked.
Daniel hesitated.
“Because Miss Hale requested access to domestic staff communications four months ago.”
Ethan’s voice dropped.
“Who authorized that?”
“You did.”
Ethan remembered.
Patricia had presented him with a stack of household restructuring documents during a business call.
He had signed without reading them.
Patricia stepped forward.
“Ethan, I was helping.”
“Helping?”
“You were overwhelmed.”
“You intercepted seventeen messages about my daughters.”
“I handled them.”
“You buried them.”
“I protected you from unnecessary drama!”
Clara inhaled sharply.
Ethan became completely still.
Patricia realized too late what she had said.
“Drama?”
His voice was almost a whisper.
“My five-year-old daughter hiding beneath a lunch table because she misses her dead mother is drama?”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“Get out.”
“Ethan—”
“Get out of my house.”
Patricia grabbed her bag.
At the doorway, she turned toward Clara.
“This is exactly what she wanted.”
Ethan stepped between them.
“No.”
His eyes stayed on Patricia.
May you like
“This happened because I finally started paying attention.”
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