Chapter 10
Clara stared at Victor in absolute disbelief, her mouth parting slightly. “Promoting me? Mr. Sterling, I’m just a domestic helper. I don't know the first thing about running a household like this, let alone managing—"
“You know how to protect my son,” Victor interrupted, his voice firm and authoritative. He walked over to his desk, picked up a gold-plated fountain pen, and slid a leather-bound folder across the polished wooden surface toward her. “Eleanor is going away for a long time to a specialized wellness and recovery facility in upstate New York. Until she is well—if she ever is—baby Ethan needs someone he can trust entirely. Someone with courage and a moral compass.”
Clara looked down at the folder. Inside were documents outlining a new position: Head of Child Welfare and Estate Operations for the Sterling household, complete with a salary that would instantly cover all of her mother’s medical debts and secure her family’s financial future for years to come. It was a life-changing sum of money, offered with the stroke of a pen by a man who treated human lives like business transactions.
“Why me?” Clara asked softly, her hands hovering over the leather folder. “You could hire professional nannies with Ivy League degrees and specialized child-psychology backgrounds.”
“Professional nannies look away when things get uncomfortable to protect their paychecks,” Victor replied, his dark eyes meeting hers with absolute clarity. “You didn't. You saw a child in danger and you acted. That is something money cannot buy.”
Clara took a deep breath, letting the magnitude of the moment wash over her. She thought of her mother, of the cramped apartment across town, and of little Ethan sleeping safely upstairs. She picked up the gold-plated fountain pen, her fingers steadying as she signed her name on the dotted line.
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“I accept, Mr. Sterling,” Clara said, looking him straight in the eye. “I will protect your son with everything I have.”
Victor nodded slowly, a rare, grim shadow of a smile touching the corner of his mouth. “Good. Because our troubles are far from over, Clara. When I announce Eleanor’s departure and restructure this household, people will start asking questions. And Julian Vance is still out there.”
