Maya’s hand froze on the crib’s edge. Lily stirred, then giggled softly in her sleep, her tiny fingers curling around the blanket. But what made Maya’s pulse quicken wasn’t the baby—it was the sound behind her.

She turned. Nathaniel stood in the doorway, but he wasn’t alone. An older woman, sharply dressed in gray silk, leaned on his arm. Her eyes—cold, calculating—swept over Maya like a blade.

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“So… this is the maid,” the woman said. Her voice carried the weight of ownership.

“Yes, Mother,” Nathaniel answered, stiff.

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Lady Eleanor Blake stepped closer. “I see the problem now. The child doesn’t trust her father because she’s been raised on a servant’s chest.”

Maya straightened, trembling inside but refusing to show it. “With respect, ma’am, Lily only stopped screaming when I—”

“Enough.” Eleanor’s tone silenced her. Then, turning to her son, she added, “You’ll dismiss her immediately. If the child needs comfort, hire a nurse. Not… this.”

Nathaniel flinched. Maya’s breath caught, but before she could speak, Lily whimpered. The moment Eleanor reached to touch her, the baby wailed again, reaching desperately for Maya.

The room froze. Nathaniel’s mother paled, humiliated by the rejection.

“She’s only a child,” Maya whispered, clutching Lily. “She chooses love, not hierarchy.”

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Maya, then at his mother. For the first time, his voice was firm, almost defiant:

“No. She stays.”

Eleanor’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’ll regret this.” She swept out, heels clicking like gunshots.

Silence lingered. Lily quieted again, cheek pressed against Maya’s shoulder.

Nathaniel exhaled slowly. “Maya… I don’t know what I’m doing. But I know this much—without you, Lily falls apart. And so do I.”

Maya studied him, unsure if it was another performance, another wealthy man’s game. But then, Lily stirred, smiled in her sleep, and nestled deeper into Maya’s arms.

For the first time, Nathaniel didn’t look at Maya like a servant. He looked at her like the only one holding his world together.

And that… terrified her more than his cruelty ever had.