Chapter 6 - The Aftermath
By midnight, the estate was quiet again.
The guests had departed, their luxury sedans and limousines winding down the long driveway into the dark Illinois night. The catering staff had packed their equipment, and the ballroom had been swept clean of every shard of broken glass.
In the small staff sitting room, a warm fire crackled in the stone fireplace.
Lily was fast asleep on the leather sofa, wrapped in a soft wool blanket, her little hand still holding tight to the brown teddy bear Mason had fetched from her bed.
Camille sat at the small wooden table, a cup of chamomile tea steaming between her palms. Her face was pale, dark circles shadowing her eyes.
Mason sat opposite her, his tuxedo jacket removed, his dark hair slightly ruffled, his collar unbuttoned. He looked less like a corporate titan and more like a man who had just survived a severe storm.
"I can have my things packed by morning, Mr. Aldridge," Camille whispered, looking down at her tea. "I know this night ruined your event. I know the press will probably—"
"Camille," Mason interrupted, his voice deep and firm. "Look at me."
Camille slowly raised her eyes.
"You are not packing anything," Mason said. "And you are not leaving."
"I brought chaos into your home—"
"No," Mason corrected sharply. "An arrogant, cruel woman brought malice into my home. You and Lily showed me the truth before I made the biggest mistake of my life."
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.
"I built my company on security systems, Camille. I spent ten years building software designed to catch lies, breaches, and threats. And yet I allowed a monster to walk through my front door because she had the right last name and wore the right clothes."
He looked over at the sleeping girl on the couch.
"That little girl saved me tonight. She had more courage than half the corporate executives standing in that room."
Camille felt tears sting her eyes. "She was just trying to protect me. Victoria pushed me last week in the laundry room, and Lily saw it. She was terrified Victoria was going to hurt me again."
Mason’s jaw tightened, a dark flash of anger crossing his face before he forced it down. "If I had known she put a hand on you, Victoria would have been thrown out a week ago."
He reached across the table and placed his hand gently over Camille's trembling fingers.
"Starting tomorrow, things are changing around here," Mason said quietly. "You are no longer the live-in maid."
Camille blinked, panic rising in her chest. "Mr. Aldridge, please... I need this job..."
"Listen to me," Mason smiled softly, his eyes warming with a genuine emotion she had never seen in him before. "Ruth needs an assistant estate manager. Someone who knows this house, someone who cares about the people in it, and someone I can trust completely. The salary is double what you're making now, and it comes with full benefits and off-site housing allowance if you want it."
May you like
Camille stared at him, her mouth opening slightly. "Double...?"
"You don't have to worry about rent anymore, Camille," Mason said softly. "You don't have to swallow insults to feed your daughter. You have a home here as long as you want one."
