The first light of day slipped through the curtains, casting pale streaks across the tiled floor. Esther had woken up early, much earlier than usual, her suitcase already packed and hidden discreetly in the corner of the guest room. She couldn't bear the thought of Betty seeing it before they talked.
Now, she sat across from the little girl in the garden, a tray of tea and sliced bread between them, untouched.
Betty hummed as she drew shapes in her notebook, her bare feet curled under her in the chair, her long braids falling to one side. There was a small blue flower tucked behind her ear, Esther had placed it there just minutes ago, pretending everything was normal.
"Sunflower ," Esther said gently, her voice soft.
The girl looked up, eyes bright and trusting. Too trusting.
"There's something I need to tell you," Esther continued, managing a calm smile. "And I need you to be brave while I do."
Betty tilted her head, frowning slightly. Her pencil stilled.
"I'm going back home today."
The words landed like a stone between them.
Betty blinked, not understanding at first. Then she laughed, uncertain. "You mean… like to visit?"
Esther shook her head slowly, her smile starting to falter. "No, sweetie. I mean… I'm leaving. For good."
Silence.
Betty's lips parted, but no words came out. Then, suddenly, she stood from her chair.
"No." Her voice was firm, panicked. "No, you can't."
"Sunflower…"
"You promised!" she shouted, her small hands clenched into fists. "You said you wouldn't leave me!"
Esther's chest tightened. "I didn't break any promise, Sunflower. I came to help you heal, and you have, you've done so well. You talk, you laugh, you even argue with me sometimes." She reached out, but Betty stepped back, shaking her head.
Tears welled up in Betty's eyes, her lip trembling. "But I still need you. You said people don't leave when they love you."
Esther's throat caught. She dropped to her knees in front of her, cupping the girl's face in her hands. "I do love you, Betty. With all my heart. That's why this is so hard."
"Then don't go," she whispered, tears rolling freely now. "Please, don't go."
Esther pressed her forehead to Betty's, holding her tightly. "If I stay, I'll only hurt you more. You're strong now. You don't need me to be brave, you already are. You have Aunt Bell , Mather, your father.."
"I want you," Betty sobbed. "Not anyone else. Just you. Can't you just stay"
"I'll still be here when you need me," Esther whispered. "I promise I'll call, We'll video chats. I'll tell you stories, even from far away."
Betty's hands gripped the front of Esther's dress, as if letting go would make her vanish. "I don't want stories. I want you here."
Esther's tears finally broke through. "I know, Sunflower. I know."
But she couldn't stay. She couldn't allow herself to be weakened by what her heart wanted.
She had come for a purpose, a job that was now complete.
It was time to leave behind the entanglement called Daniel Lewis.
Time to close that chapter and begin again, this time, focused on herself and the future she deserved.
They stayed like that, locked in a painful embrace, until Betty's sobs softened to sniffles, and her hands loosened their grip. Her tiny voice came again, barely audible:
"Will you at least tuck me in one more time tonight?"
Esther hesitated, her heart shattering. "I'll try… if I can."
Betty nodded once, as if that little hope would carry her through. She turned and walked away without another word, disappearing into the house with slumped shoulders and wet cheeks.
Esther stood slowly, wiping her own tears, her chest aching. She had done what she came here to do. But walking away from Betty felt like leaving a piece of her soul behind.
She turned toward the house, only to find Lady Bell standing at the edge of the veranda, a soft shawl wrapped around her shoulders, her expression unreadable.
"I figured I'd find you out here," Lady Bell said gently, descending the steps one at a time.
Esther lowered her gaze, brushing her fingers over the damp fabric of her dress. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene."
"You didn't." The older woman's voice was calm, laced with understanding. "But that little girl in there? She's not just crying over a goodbye, she's crying over something she believed was hers to keep."
Esther's chest tightened. "That's the problem. She believed in something temporary."
Lady Bell reached out and touched her arm, her grip warm and steady. "No, dear. You made her believe in love again. In safety. In something solid."
Esther blinked back more tears, shaking her head slowly. "And now I'm breaking that. I didn't plan to stay forever, ma'am. It was a contract. And with the way things are… I don't think it's healthy. For Betty. Or for me."
"Is it really Betty you're protecting," Lady Bell asked softly, "or yourself?"
Esther flinched, caught in the honesty of the question.
"I see how you look at Daniel," Lady Bell continued, "and I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching. You're scared, Esther. And maybe he is too. But walking away before giving things a chance? That's not courage. That's fear dressed up as sacrifice."
Esther's lips trembled. "I'm just trying to do what's right."
Lady Bell stepped closer. "Then ask yourself this: if walking away hurts this much… how right can it really be?"
The breeze stirred the quiet between them, carrying with it the distant sound of Betty's voice from inside the house, calling Esther's name, one last time.
Lady Bell gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "Just think about it, dear. Not for Betty. Not for Daniel. But for yourself."
And with that, the older woman turned and left her standing there, alone, torn between what was safe… and what was true.
But neither didn't matter at that moment, her decision was made. She didn't look back as she stepped out of the estate's front door.
Thomas was already waiting at the base of the steps, standing beside one of the black company cars, the trunk open. He gave her a polite nod, quiet, respectful, eyes flickering with something like regret. He didn't ask questions. He didn't need to.
Daniel had given the order earlier that morning. "Take her home," he'd said, without elaborating. His voice clipped, distant. As if that was all she'd ever been, just someone to deliver and collect. A chapter to be closed.
Thomas took her suitcase from her hand and stowed it gently in the trunk.
"Ready, Miss Cole?" he asked.
Esther simply nodded.
The ride was mostly silent, the only sound the soft hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of trees outside the window. Esther kept her eyes ahead, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her heart sore but steady.
When they reached the front of her modest home, Thomas got out first, opened the door for her, and placed her bag gently by the entrance.
"Should I tell Mr. Lewis anything?" he asked quietly.
Esther shook her head. "No. There's nothing left to say."
She gave him a small, grateful smile, more kindness than she'd been shown that morning, and then turned away, unlocking her front door without another glance.
And just like that, the Lewis estate became a memory.
And Daniel Lewis… a closed door.
9:30 a.m.
A first in company history, Daniel Lewis, late for work.
He had stood on the upper floor of his home that morning, watching in silence as Esther left. No glance back. No goodbye. Just… gone.
As if he meant nothing.
But really, what had he expected?
With a burdened heart, Daniel shoved the door to his office open, and paused.
Someone was already sitting in his chair, spinning slightly, legs crossed, a chilling smile stretched across his face.
"You're late, Lewis," Sankoh said with a lazy wave.
Daniel stepped fully into the room, ignoring the wave and the audacity of the man in his seat. He walked to the desk, stood behind it, and sat down across from him.
"What are you doing in my office?" he asked coolly.
Sankoh dropped the smile and adjusted his posture. "Don't blame your secretary. She's a lovely woman. Very polite. I told her it was urgent."
"And?"
"I'm here for business," Sankoh said, his tone shifting. "To collect the money you owe me."
Daniel arched an eyebrow. "I don't recall owing you a damn thing."
Sankoh's smile turned bitter. "The prototype. It was fake. And you knew it the second you saw it last night. Still, you let me invest, six million in crypto, without a word."
Daniel leaned back in his chair, his tone sarcastic. "You went to a black-market auction chasing a ghost. You got exactly what you paid for."
"It was fake," Sankoh said again, voice sharpening.
"Then that's on you , for having poor investment instincts. You saw shiny tech and got greedy." He shrugged. "Don't blame me for your mistakes."
Sankoh let out a short, humorless laugh, running a hand down his jaw as he processed the sting. It had been a clean blow, and a costly one. But in the world they played in, losses came with the territory.
"No hard feelings, huh?" he muttered, echoing Daniel's words.
Daniel offered a dry smirk. "None at all."
A beat passed before Sankoh changed the subject with an air of nonchalance. "Forget business talk. How's Esther doing? Haven't seen her since the Prime Minister's party."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
But he didn't answer.
Just then, the door opened and Thomas stepped inside.
"Good morning, sir. I've dropped Miss Cole home," he said, halting just a few feet into the room.
Daniel's head lifted at once, curiosity flickering in his gaze. "Did she leave a message? Anything she asked you to pass on?"
Thomas hesitated for half a second, then shook his head. "No, sir. She didn't say anything."
Daniel's fingers curled into his palm.
Nothing. Not even a goodbye.
She was really done with him.
"Wait, hold on," Sankoh suddenly said, his voice rising as he turned toward Thomas, now noticing him properly. "Are you saying Miss Cole is no longer your governess?"
Thomas glanced warily between them but remained silent.
Sankoh grinned, clearly amused. "So she's free? Not your cup of tea anymore?" His grin deepened into something darker. "That means I can pursue her. Make her my girl?"
Daniel's jaw clenched tighter, the muscle twitching as he shot Sankoh a warning glare, cold, fierce, unmistakably dangerous.
Sankoh leaned back, still smirking. "Now you're being selfish, Lewis. She's not your employee anymore. That makes her fair game. I might just take her out, show her I'm the better man."
Daniel's voice dropped to a low, icy threat. "Believe me, Sankoh… you don't want to try that."
The air shifted.
"If I see you anywhere near her," he continued, "I promise, it'll be the last day your company stands."
The smile on Sankoh's face faltered.
He had pushed the line, and now he saw it, Daniel wasn't bluffing. He never threw around threats carelessly. And when he did… they landed.
Just one call from Daniel Lewis could collapse everything Sankoh had spent years building.
And for a woman Daniel had just let walk out his life, he was still willing to burn down everything in his path.
At another end of the company, Hawa and Sarah sat in a quiet corner of the break room, their coffee cups steaming between them. The air between them crackled, not with tension, but with quiet triumph.
"I believe this is what you wanted," Sarah said, slipping a small flash drive across the table.
Hawa took it, eyes widening slightly with surprise. "You actually got it?" she asked, half-exclaiming as she flipped the drive between her fingers.
"I did," Sarah replied coolly. "Wasn't easy. But I got it. I also wiped all his backups."
Relief poured into Hawa's face. For nearly a year, John had held her family hostage with a video, footage of her stepfather and another man, intimate, vulnerable. It was never meant for the world to see. But John had used it to worm his way into their lives, manipulating, feeding off their silence, and worse, demanding marriage to her as part of his sick power play.
"Well," Sarah went on, "I played sorry. Told him I regretted rejecting him. Asked him to take me to his place, he did, like the fool he is. He always wants to believe a pretty face."
"And once you were inside…" Hawa began, connecting the dots.
"I copied everything," Sarah confirmed. "Then 'accidentally' dropped his laptop and phone into water. By the time he gets them repaired and realizes all the files are gone… it'll be too late."
"God," Hawa whispered, exhaling. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."
"I have a pretty good idea," Sarah said with a faint smirk.
Hawa leaned forward, voice low but firm. "I've also been digging into him. I'm almost certain he and our HR boss are laundering company funds. I just need solid evidence, something undeniable. Then we can bury him for good."
Sarah's brow lifted. "That would be perfect. I also cleared out the blackmail videos he had on others. All gone."
"Won't he notice?"
"Eventually," Sarah shrugged. "But not in time to stop us."
Hawa raised her cup. "Then… cheers to us."
Sarah clinked hers gently against it. "Cheers to us."
The day had been exhausting for Sarah. All she craved was silence, a warm shower, and sleep. As she unlocked the front door of the Cole house, she immediately kicked off her heels, letting them land wherever they may. She tugged off her wig, placed it alongside her handbag on the entry table, and trudged into the living room like a sleep-deprived zombie.
Then she stopped, eyes catching on a figure in the dim lighting.
She jumped slightly, letting out a low groan that turned into a gasp as the figure turned. "Esther?" she said, surprised. "Christ, you scared me. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be enjoying your luxurious stay at the Lewis estate?"
Her voice dripped with sarcasm, her displeasure thinly veiled.
Esther gently closed the book in her lap and rose to her feet with a calm smile. "Your wish finally came true. I've decided to return home."
Sarah blinked. "Hold on, what does that mean? Weren't you supposed to be there for a full year?" Her curiosity now tinged with excitement. "Don't tell me the Lewis family kicked you out? Or did you do something, steal from them?"
"What is wrong with you?" Esther snapped, the smile fading. "Is it really that hard to think something positive about me?"
"You can't blame me for asking," Sarah retorted. "I don't want to lose my job just because my sister couldn't control herself."
"Well, you won't," Esther shot back. "Because I left of my own free will. And even if things had gone wrong, you wouldn't be affected, remember? You're not Sarah Cole to them. You're the glamorous heiress Sarah Williams."
The sting of that remark hit Sarah, but she swallowed it with a sharp exhale.
"Whatever. I just hope you learned your lesson. People like the Lewises… they don't tolerate mistakes. You can't mess around with the rich."
Esther gave a soft laugh, tired of it all. "You should take your own advice more often."
She turned to leave, but paused and added, "If you're hungry, I made dinner."
Sarah blinked. "Where did you get food? There wasn't anything in the house this morning."
"I went grocery shopping," Esther said simply. "Mom and Zianab will be back in two weeks. I couldn't let them come home to an empty kitchen."
She was almost to her room when Sarah's voice stopped her again.
"Esther…" Her tone had softened. "I don't want to be the awful sister. I want us to be like we used to be, happy."
Esther turned, her heart lifting slightly, a small smile beginning to bloom.
But then Sarah added, "And that can only happen if you stop getting in my way."
The smile died.
"I've never been in your way, Sarah," Esther said quietly. "You just think I am."
"You are," Sarah insisted. "Daniel Lewis can only be mine. I won't let you take him from me."
Esther stared at her, stunned. "He's not an object, Sarah. He's a man. And I have no intention of taking him, or anyone, from you. That chapter of my life is closed."
"Good," Sarah replied with a sweet but chilling smile. "Because if you ever dare take what's mine again… I won't care that we share blood. I'll get rid of you."
She turned and walked off toward the kitchen as if she hadn't just delivered a threat.
Esther stood frozen, Sarah's final words echoing in her mind. She wouldn't really go that far… would she?.