Mark carried the small child into his private home office and locked the heavy wooden door behind him.
Sarah followed right behind them, wiping her face with a damp napkin from the kitchen.
The young girl clung to Mark's neck like her life depended on it.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Mark whispered, setting her gently on the soft leather sofa.
"Nobody is going to hurt you in this house ever again," he promised softly.
Sarah sat on the edge of the sofa and took the little girl's hand in hers.
"I'm so sorry, Mark," Sarah began, her voice shaking with quiet exhaustion.
"I wanted to tell you the truth the day I was hired two years ago," Sarah confessed.
Mark took a deep breath as he pulled a chair up close to them.
"Start from the beginning, Sarah," Mark urged, his mind spinning with endless questions.
"Four years ago, before you married Victoria, you dated Lily," Sarah explained softly.
Mark felt a sharp ache in his chest at the sound of Lily's name.
Lily had been the love of his life before she suddenly vanished from town without a trace.
"Lily was my cousin," Sarah revealed, looking Mark dead in the eye.
"She died during childbirth three years ago in a small town hospital," Sarah added.
"Before she passed away, she gave me full custody of baby Bella," Sarah whispered.
"She told me you were the father, but your family sent her away with threats," Sarah said.
Mark slammed his fist onto the armrest of his chair in sudden rage.
"My family did what?" Mark demanded, his jaw clenching hard.
"Victoria's father threatened Lily with a lawsuit and ruin if she ever contacted you," Sarah explained.
"They wanted the corporate merger between your families to go through without any legal problems," Sarah said.
"So I took a job as your maid just to make sure Bella was close to her real father," Sarah admitted.
Mark looked down at Bella, who was silently staring at a brass clock on the shelf.
"Why didn't you just hand me the DNA test results earlier?" Mark asked gently.
"Because Victoria was watching every letter that came to this front door," Sarah answered.
"This morning, she went into my room while I was cleaning the main guest room," Sarah said.
"She found the original court custody papers and the positive DNA test from the hospital," Sarah revealed.
"She flew into a rage and told me she would clear us out before sunset," Sarah added.
A heavy knock suddenly shattered the quiet mood in the room.
Victoria's aggressive voice echoed through the thick wooden door from the hallway.
"Open this door right now, Mark, before I call the family lawyers!" Victoria shouted.
Mark stood up slowly, feeling a cold wave of calm settle over his shoulders.
"Stay here with Bella," Mark told Sarah, turning the heavy brass door handle.
He walked out into the hall, ready to face the woman he thought he knew.