Chapter 7 - THE OFFER OF A RABBIT
The giant Nordmann fir Christmas tree in the corner flickered softly, its warm white lights casting a gentle, golden glow across the polished walnut floor and the black suit of the most feared man in Knoxville.
Ethan remained completely motionless, staring down at the small gray stuffed rabbit held out in the baby's tiny hand.
Hannah held her breath, her fingers digging into the fabric of her housekeeping apron. She expected him to order them out, to hand down an immediate termination, or to summon his security detail. But as she watched Ethan's face, she saw something that defied everything she had ever heard about the cold, merciless CEO.
She saw a tear—a single, quiet crystal bead—form in the corner of Ethan’s right eye, catching the amber light of the sunset before it trailed slowly down his stubble-coated cheekbone.
Ethan slowly lowered himself down onto one knee on the Persian rug, bringing his six-foot-two frame down to the baby's eye level.
He reached out with his right hand—a hand bearing subtle dark ink across the knuckles, a hand that had signed multi-million-dollar energy deals and ordered syndicate purges—and gently, delicately touched the soft felt ear of the gray stuffed rabbit with his index finger.
Ellie let out a soft, happy squeak, letting go of the rabbit so it rested in Ethan’s large palm.
"She... she likes you, sir," Hannah whispered, her voice trembling, her fear slowly giving way to profound, bewildered awe.
Ethan looked up from the rabbit, his dark eyes meeting Hannah's hazel gaze for the very first time. The cold, impenetrable barrier in his eyes was shattered, revealing a deep, aching well of unresolved grief and profound human warmth.
"She has her mother's eyes," Ethan said softly, his raspy baritone barely louder than the hum of the HVAC system.
May you like
Hannah blinked, confused. "Sir?"
Ethan slowly stood up from the rug, holding the small gray rabbit in his hand. He walked over to his massive walnut desk, reached into his suit jacket pocket, and pulled out a small, sleek brass key attached to a leather strap.
