Chapter 3 - A BAD SONG AND A DEEP PAUSE
Hannah moved toward the large mahogany conference table near the window, holding a bottle of wood polish and a clean yellow microfiber cloth.
As she applied the polish in smooth, circular motions across the dark grain, the silence of the large office felt heavy. To keep Ellie entertained and comfortable, Hannah began to hum softly, her voice rising into a sweet, if terribly off-key, rendition of a classic holiday tune.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..." Hannah sang softly, exaggerating her movements and making a silly face over her shoulder at the stroller. "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh... hey!"
The moment Hannah hit the high note, Ellie let out a sudden, loud burst of delighted, high-pitched baby laughter.
The bright, pure sound echoed off the high ceilings and glass walls of the executive suite.
Hannah couldn't help herself; she burst into a genuine, warm laugh of her own, dropping her cloth onto the table to make a funny peek-a-boo gesture with her hands behind her apron. Ellie giggled louder, her small feet kicking against the star-patterned blanket, her tiny hand waving the gray stuffed rabbit in the air.
Inside the dark conference room behind the tinted glass, Ethan’s posture went rigid.
His dark eyes narrowed as the sound of the child's laughter reached his ears through the subtle acoustic seams of the glass wall. For four years, his entire world had been defined by absolute quiet, cold business calculations, and lethal syndicate directives. Laughter had been banished from his floor, his house, and his life.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. His right hand reached out toward the silver intercom terminal resting on the conference table, his thumb hovering over the speed-dial button for chief building security. One press, and two armed guards would clear the cleaner and her illegal child off his floor in less than two minutes.
His thumb hovered one inch above the button.
He looked through the dark glass at the baby in the stroller—at her tiny cream sweater, her red bow, and the pure, uncorrupted joy shining in her brown eyes as she looked at her mother.
May you like
Ethan’s thumb froze.
Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his hand back to his side, his fingers coiling into a tight fist inside his coat pocket. He didn't press the button. He sat back in the shadow of the dark room, his breath catching in his chest as he continued to watch.
