CHAPTER 2 — The Woman He Never Saw
No one answered Ethan's question.
Not the women in expensive gowns.
Not the guests.
Not even Claire.
The only sound inside the ballroom came from Oliver's quiet laughter as he buried his face against Claire's shoulder, wrapping his tiny fingers into the fabric of her apron.
He refused to let go.
Claire carefully tried to loosen his grip.
"Oliver..."
The little boy shook his head.
"No."
It was one of the few complete words he had ever spoken.
The guests exchanged surprised glances.
Ethan stood perfectly still.
For two years, specialists had warned him that Oliver spoke very little because losing his mother during childbirth had left him unusually withdrawn. Ethan blamed himself for working eighteen-hour days while trying to build Reed Global after his wife's death.
He had believed expensive therapists could replace time.
He was wrong.
"When did this start?" Ethan finally asked.
Claire lowered her eyes.
"I... don't know what you mean, sir."
"My son."
She hesitated.
"He sleeps better when I read to him."
The sentence landed like a stone.
One of the women laughed softly.
"She's exaggerating."
Claire didn't even look toward her.
"I wasn't trying to."
Ethan's housekeeper, Margaret, suddenly stepped forward from the back of the room.
Her face had turned pale.
"Mr. Reed..."
He looked at her.
"Tell me."
Margaret swallowed.
"Claire has worked every night since your wife passed away."
"I know that."
"No..."
Margaret whispered.
"You don't."
The ballroom became silent again.
"You hired six professional night nurses."
"None of them stayed."
"They kept quitting."
"They said Oliver screamed every time they tried to hold him."
Ethan frowned.
"I was never told."
Margaret nodded slowly.
"Because Claire asked us not to."
Claire's eyes widened.
"Margaret..."
But it was too late.
"Every night after her shift ended..."
Margaret continued quietly,
"...she stayed."
"Without asking for overtime."
"Without asking for extra pay."
"She rocked Oliver until sunrise."
The three glamorous women slowly lowered their wine glasses.
For the first time that evening...
they realized they had never been competing with one another.
They had been competing with the woman who had already become a mother.
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And Ethan suddenly wondered...
How many moments of his son's childhood had happened while he was chasing another business deal?
