Ethan escorted Grace into the small library away from Victoria's glare.
He closed the heavy wooden doors to secure complete privacy for them.
Grace sat down nervously on the edge of a leather armchair near the window.
Ethan: Tell me everything from the day I went overseas.
Grace swallowed hard, holding her small hands together in her lap.
Grace: Your mother called me to her office the morning after you departed.
Ethan: What did she say to you?
Grace: She showed me documents showing my family was deep in debt.
Ethan felt a sharp knot form in his tight stomach.
Ethan: She used your family's money problems against you?
Grace: She offered to pay off my father's medical bills entirely.
Ethan: But only if you walked away from me forever?
Grace nodded her head slowly as tears welled up in her dark eyes again.
Grace: She told me a maid would ruin your future career in town.
Ethan pounded his fist gently against the oak desk in quiet rage.
Ethan: My mother had no right to make that decision for us.
Grace: I discovered I was carrying your baby two weeks after leaving.
Ethan: Did you tell her about the pregnancy?
Grace: I came back here months ago to inform her directly.
Ethan leaned over the desk, listening closely to every single word.
Ethan: And what was her reaction to the news?
Grace: She offered me money to sign a legal release form.
Ethan: You refused her money, didn't you?
Grace: I rejected her check and asked only for a humble job here.
Ethan looked at her simple uniform with a deep sense of guilt.
Ethan: You worked as a maid in my house just to survive?
Grace: I needed stable work and health insurance for our child.
The library door opened abruptly before Ethan could answer her.
His mother, Eleanor, stepped into the room wearing an elegant wool suit.
Eleanor: What is all this commotion about, Ethan?
Ethan turned to face his mother with cold determination in his eyes.
Ethan: Is it true, Mother?
Eleanor looked at Grace with a cold, dismissive stare across the rug.
Eleanor: Do not listen to the tall tales of household staff, son.
Ethan: She is carrying my child, and you hid it from me!
Eleanor smoothed her jacket without showing any sign of remorse or fear.
Eleanor: I acted in the best interest of this family's legacy.
Ethan: You ruined three lives to protect your social standing.
Grace: I never wanted your estate, Mrs. Vance, only fairness.
Eleanor walked toward the desk with her head held high in pride.
Eleanor: Fairness is for people who build companies, not polish floors.
Ethan took Grace by the arm and guided her toward the door.
Ethan: We are leaving this house right now, Mother.
Eleanor pointed her finger sharply at her son in sudden panic.
Eleanor: If you walk out that door, your inheritance is gone!
Ethan did not even pause as he pushed the doors open wide.