The day my father lined up five wealthy women and told me to choose one as my new mother, everyone expected me to pick beauty, money, or status. Instead, I walked past every designer dress in the room and knelt beside the one woman everyone else treated as if she were invisible. That's when the entire mansion fell silent.

The fallout from the charity gala shook New York to its core.

Richard Montgomery was held without bail, and his empire began to crumble under the weight of federal indictments. Vanessa and her mother fled to their estate in the Hamptons to avoid the relentless media circus.

Meanwhile, at the Harrington estate, life had changed entirely.

The thirty-day agreement had passed, but no one spoke of Emily leaving. She had moved her belongings permanently into the family suite. She wasn't just a guest anymore; she had become the heart of our home. She spent her afternoons helping me with my homework, planting a vibrant new vegetable and flower garden in the backyard, and filling the dark, lonely halls of the mansion with warmth and music.

My father was a changed man. He stopped working late hours at the office, choosing instead to come home for dinner every night at six. I would catch him sitting on the patio, watching Emily laugh as she chased me through the sprinklers in the garden, a soft, deeply tender look in his eyes.

One evening, after I had gone to bed, I crept out to get a glass of water and heard quiet voices coming from the terrace.

My father and Emily were standing near the stone balustrade, looking out at the moonlight reflecting on the lake.

"You don't have to work in the garden every day, Emily," my father said softly, stepping closer to her. "You can do whatever you want now. Go back to university, finish your master's degree... I’ll fund whatever path you choose."

Emily looked up at him, her hazel eyes shimmering under the moonlight. "Michael... these past few weeks have been the happiest weeks of my life. For three years, I woke up every morning feeling like I was carrying a mountain on my back. You and Leo... you gave me back my life."

My father reached out, his hand gently cupping her cheek. Emily leaned into his touch, her breath catching in her throat.

"You gave us our lives back too, Emily," my father whispered, his voice thick with raw emotion. "After my wife died, I thought this house was meant to be a tomb. I thought I was just surviving for Leo. You made me want to live again."

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

My heart did a happy flip in my chest. I buried my face in my hands to keep from cheering aloud.

However, dark clouds were still gathering on the horizon.

Olivia Prescott had not forgotten her humiliation. Unlike Vanessa, whose family was ruined, Olivia came from old money that was still very much intact. She viewed Emily's rise not just as a insult, but as a personal threat to her social standing.

Two days later, my father had to fly to London for a mandatory forty-eight-hour emergency board meeting regarding our European holdings. He was reluctant to leave, but Emily assured him that she and Thomas would take care of everything.

"I'll be back on Friday evening," my father said, kissing Emily gently on the cheek at the driveway before getting into his black sedan. "Call me if anything feels wrong."

"We'll be fine, Michael. Go handle your business," Emily smiled.

That night, a violent thunderstorm rolled over New York, matching the exact night my mother had died two years ago. Heavy rain slammed against the windows, and thunder rattled the roof.

I couldn't sleep. I sat in my bed, clutching my stuffed bear, terrified of the lightning.

The door opened gently, and Emily stepped in, wearing a warm robe. She immediately sat on my bed, pulling me into her arms, stroking my hair as the thunder crashed outside.

"Shh... it's okay, Leo. It's just noise. I'm right here," she cooed softly, singing a sweet lullaby her mother used to sing to her.

Soothed by her warmth, I finally fell fast asleep in her lap.

Sometime around 2:00 a.m., I was awakened by a strange smell.