But as Maria returned with towels, something flickered in her expression—something Jason hadn’t noticed before. A shadow of worry. A hesitation.
“Maria,” Jason said gently, “is there something you haven’t told me?”
She froze.
Her eyes dropped to Ethan, then lifted again, full of fear and honesty.
“Mr. Blake… there is something. Something you should know.”
Jason’s breath hitched. Every muscle in his body tensed.
Maria took a deep breath.
“I wasn’t hired through your agency.”
Jason frowned. “What do you mean? The agency sent your file.”
She shook her head slowly.
“I sent the file.”
“You… forged it?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Because I had to get close to him. To this family.”
Jason’s heart pounded. “Why?”
She swallowed hard.
“Because I knew your wife. Before she died. She was my friend. And she asked me—begged me—to watch over Ethan if anything ever happened to her.”
Jason stared at her, stunned.
“My wife never told me that,” he said quietly.
Maria lowered her gaze. “She didn’t want to burden you. She just wanted someone who could love him the way she did. Someone who wouldn’t give up on him.”
Jason felt his throat tighten painfully.
