he Davies estate was

usual high-backed armc

eside him, lo

ale but smug, her hand resting protectively on her barely-ther

ick with unspo

k straight, meetin

his voice gravelly. "We hav

s weight. "Dad,

peak, Ethan," Mr. Davies

oat. Her voice was la

hard on you. Your... your difficul

fficulties? We hadn

an only child, she might feel... isolated in the future.

y, dabbing at a n

her wisdom and generosity, came up with a solution. A way to

ed. What wer

Chloe... help. That Chloe carry a child for her and Ethan. A chil

ing everything, painting me as the

pression unreadable. "Is this t

to carry the Davies name and eventually inherit Ethan's Interi

d himself it was true, to

eir. Chloe was lik

ch I took as acceptance of Susan'

thodox, will solidify your posit

cooperate, Sarah. For the good o

request. It

strengthen Ethan's role in the company, as if producing an he

ury, so intense I c

, a small voice pipe

om

brought her. She wasn

er small face cr

rprisingly loud for a six-year-old. "Mommy didn't want

. Chloe look

ed. "Emily! That's en

er foot. "You're bad!

ared at Chloe. "A

snapping, reached out

that's

balance, and fell, her head hitting the sha

kenin

, si

Emily's pier