The Unexpected Scene
When he turned the corner, Marc stopped dead.
In the center of his elegant living room — the one furnished with imported art and perfect symmetry — sat Elena, his housekeeper.
She looked startled at first, then offered a shy, warm smile.
Around her sat three children, barefoot, surrounded by open notebooks and small plates of food on the coffee table.
One boy was sketching with colored pencils. The smallest girl giggled as Elena helped her sound out words from a storybook.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, wrapping the scene in a golden warmth that felt completely foreign to this cold, immaculate house.
Marc stood frozen in the doorway.
Elena turned when she saw him. “Monsieur Delcourt! I… I didn’t expect you home so soon.”
His voice stayed calm, almost too calm. “Who are these children?”
