Chapter 4 - The Plea on His Knees
Emily looked up, her brown eyes flashing with a sudden spark of anger that surprised him.
“Mr. Hawthorne, an hour ago you accused me of theft,” she said, her voice rising slightly despite her attempt to keep it quiet for the sleeping boys. “You threw my suitcase into the driveway. You threw money at my feet as if my dignity could be bought for a thousand dollars. You didn't give me a single second to explain myself.”
“I was wrong!” Richard burst out, stepping closer, his hands raised in surrender. “I was a fool! I was blind, Emily! Victoria manipulated everything—she planted the watch, she lied about the garage footage, she—”
“It doesn't matter what Victoria did!” Emily countered, tears filling her eyes again. “What matters is that after three years of me raising your children, after three years of keeping your home together while you worked sixteen-hour days, you believed her in three seconds flat! You didn't trust me!”
The truth of her words hit him like a physical impact.
He hadn't trusted her. He had judged her based on her social status, assuming that a wealthy heiress like Victoria was naturally more trustworthy than a humble housekeeper.
“You’re right,” Richard said softly.
Before Emily could react, the powerful, arrogant billionaire—the man whose name made corporate boardrooms tremble—dropped to both knees on the cold hospital tile floor right in front of her.
Emily gasped, taking a step back. “Mr. Hawthorne, what are you doing? Stand up!”
“No,” Richard said, looking up at her with raw, unshielded vulnerability. “I won't stand up until you hear me out.”
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his leather wallet, and took out his personal black American Express card, his ID, and a set of keys to the Hawthorne estate. He held them up to her.
“Everything I own is worthless if my children are terrified in their own home,” Richard whispered, his voice shaking with genuine emotion. “I failed them as a father. I failed to protect them because I was too arrogant to see what was happening right in front of me.”
He set the cards on the bedside table and looked into her eyes.
“I am not asking you to forgive me today, Emily. I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I am begging you—on my knees—do not leave Ethan, Noah, and Liam. They need you. If you leave, they will lose the only person who makes them feel safe.”
Emily looked down at the man on his knees before her. The pristine suit was wrinkled, his hair was messy, and tears were rolling down his cheeks onto his designer tie.
She looked over at the bed. Liam had rolled over in his sleep, his little hand reaching out across the mattress, searching for something to hold.
Emily closed her eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath.
“I will stay,” Emily whispered.
Richard’s eyes lit up with a ray of pure hope. “Thank you... thank you, Emily—”
“I am staying for the boys,” Emily added coldly, cutting him off before he could stand up. “Not for you, Mr. Hawthorne. My contract will be rewritten. I will no longer be your housekeeper. I will be the boys’ full-time guardian, and you will not interfere with how I protect them.”
“Whatever you want,” Richard agreed instantly, standing up wiping his face. “Name your salary, name your conditions. Anything you ask for is yours.”
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“I don't want your money,” Emily said flatly. “I want Victoria Lane banned from the estate permanently. And I want to know why she was so desperate to get rid of these boys.”
Richard’s expression hardened into ice. “I’m going to find out. And when I do, I will destroy everything she has ever touched.”
