Chapter 5 - THE PRIVATE WING
Two hours later.
The private medical wing on the third floor of the Blackwood estate was completely silent, lit only by the soft amber glow of the bedside monitors.
Lily lay in a plush hospital bed, an IV line hooked to her arm providing fluids and pain medication. Her stomach was heavily bandaged from the severe deep-tissue bruising caused by Serena's heel, but the doctors had confirmed no internal organ damage.
Beside her bed sat a small, high-tech acrylic crib.
Inside the crib, Baby Ethan lay fast asleep under a warm blanket, his left arm wrapped in a soft blue cast, his tiny chest rising and falling in a deep, peaceful rhythm.
The heavy oak door swung open with a soft click.
Victor stepped into the room. He had removed his suit jacket, his dark shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing the dark, intricate tattoos that wound around his wrists—symbols of the Blackwood syndicate.
Lily tried to sit up quickly, but a sharp wave of pain made her wince.
"Don't move," Victor said quietly, stepping up to the side of her bed. He laid a large hand on her shoulder, gently holding her down against the soft pillows.
"Mr. Blackwood..." Lily whispered, looking up at him nervously. "Is Ethan really okay?"
"His arm will heal completely in six weeks," Victor said, his dark eyes studying her pale face. "Dr. Vance said if you hadn't broken his fall when she kicked you, he would have suffered severe spinal trauma."
Lily let out a long breath of relief, her eyes turning toward the sleeping boy. "I couldn't let her hurt him. He's so small..."
Victor stared at Lily for a long moment.
For six months, he had viewed Lily as nothing more than a quiet, background worker—a girl hired by his human resources team to keep his motherless son fed and clothed. He had barely spoken ten words to her since she moved into the estate.
He had expected her to run. He had expected her to take a check and stay quiet like everyone else in his dark world.
Instead, she had thrown her own body between a monster and his child.
"You have no family in Chicago, do you, Lily?" Victor asked softly.
Lily looked down at her hands, her voice quiet. "No, sir. I grew up in an orphanage in Ohio. Ethan is... Ethan is the only person I have to care for."
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Victor leaned down over the bed, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intense, unshakeable promise.
"You aren't just a nanny anymore, Lily," Victor said smoothly. "From tonight, you are under the personal protection of the Blackwood family. And anyone who touches you will answer directly to me."
