The Truth Unfolds
Elena hesitated. “They’re mine, sir. I— I usually leave them with a neighbor while I work. But she got sick today, and I couldn’t lose my shift. I didn’t want to bring them here without permission, but I had no choice.”
Her voice trembled. “They’ve been quiet, I promise. We cleaned up after ourselves. I just gave them something to eat from my own lunch.”
Marc’s gaze swept the room — the spotless surfaces now touched by small, human traces: a half-eaten sandwich, a crayon rolling toward the rug, and a little girl’s innocent smile.
He opened his mouth to remind her about rules, professionalism, boundaries — but the words never came.
Because what rose in him wasn’t anger. It was… emptiness.
Those children, laughing and alive, made him see how hollow his grand mansion truly was.
