THE BILLIONAIRE'S FIANCÉE AND THE CHILD OF SECRETS

Back at the Greenwich estate, the autumn chill had given way to a crisp, beautiful winter afternoon. Snowflakes began to drift lazily past the tall windows of the grand foyer, dusting the pristine lawns and the stone fountain with a blanket of white.

In the staff kitchen—which was no longer just a staff kitchen, but the warm, beating heart of the mansion—a magnificent feast was being prepared. But today, Rosa wasn't wearing her apron. She wore a stunning emerald-green dress that Ethan had specially commissioned for her, matching the exact shade of her mother’s favorite brooch.

Lily was sitting at the massive dining table in the formal dining room, completely ignoring the table manners she had been taught to observe, as she gleefully decorated gingerbread cookies with thick layers of colored frosting.

Bun the stuffed rabbit sat proudly beside her plate, wearing a tiny red ribbon Ethan had tied around its neck.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the parquet floor. Ethan walked into the dining room, loosening his tie, looking more relaxed than Rosa had ever seen him in the four years she had worked for the estate.

“How are the artistic creations coming along?” Ethan asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down right next to Lily.

Lily held up a lopsided gingerbread man with far too much blue icing. “For you, Mr. Harmon!” she announced proudly.

“Thank you, Lily,” Ethan said, smiling warmly as he took the cookie and took a bite. “Delicious. But you know, you don't have to call me Mr. Harmon anymore.”

Lily tilted her head, her amber-flecked brown eyes studying him carefully. “Then what do I call you?”

Ethan glanced up, meeting Rosa’s warm, grateful gaze as she walked into the dining room carrying a tray of hot cider.

“Uncle Ethan,” he said softly.

Rosa’s breath caught, a wave of profound emotion washing over her chest. The fear, the hiding, the years of quiet struggle—it all melted away in the warmth of the roaring fireplace.