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Chapter 2: Connection

Ethan looked at her for a second before accepting the handshake. For the first time since she arrived, Isabella felt like she had made progress, that she had broken through a small part of the wall Ethan had built around himself.

However, as Ethan returned to his game, Isabella couldn’t stop wondering why such a smart and sensitive child seemed so isolated, so rebellious. She knew there was something deeper behind that facade, something she hadn’t seen yet.

Later that night, Isabella headed to the kitchen in search of something to drink. She was exhausted, but satisfied with the small progress she had made with Ethan. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the spark of connection between them encouraged her.

As she sipped her water, she heard soft footsteps approaching. Turning around, she found Alexander standing in the doorway, his imposing figure blocking the light coming from the hallway.

—How was your first day? —he asked, his tone neutral but with a slight hint of interest.

—Difficult, but not impossible —Isabella replied, placing the glass in the sink—. Ethan is a very smart boy, but I think what he really needs is someone to listen to him.

Alexander watched her silently for a few seconds, as if evaluating her words. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

—Ethan hasn’t had an easy life —he said, his voice softer than usual—. His mother... disappeared when he was very young. Things have been complicated since then.

Isabella felt a pang of sadness for the boy. She knew she had no right to ask personal questions, but now she understood a bit more why Ethan acted the way he did.

—I’ll do everything I can to help him —she said sincerely—. He’s a good kid. He just needs time.

Alexander looked at her again, his dark eyes glinting with an emotion she couldn’t quite identify.

—I hope you can do what other nannies couldn’t —he murmured before turning to leave the kitchen—. Good night, Isabella.

—Good night, Mr. Blackwell —she replied, watching as he disappeared down the hallway.

When silence once again filled the house, Isabella sighed. She knew she was stepping into a complex situation, both with Ethan and his father. And though she still didn’t know all the details, she was certain there was much more behind the Blackwell story than Alexander was willing to share.

Isabella lingered in the kitchen for a few more minutes, letting Alexander’s words echo in her mind. Ethan’s mother’s disappearance explained a lot about his behavior, but it also raised more questions. What had really happened? Why did Alexander speak of her as if it were a forbidden topic? There was no sadness or pain in his voice, only cold resignation, as if he had closed that chapter of his life long ago.

As she climbed the stairs to her room, she couldn’t help but think about Ethan. Something about him felt strangely familiar, a connection she couldn’t quite understand. The exhaustion began to weigh on her, and when she reached the hallway leading to her room, she decided not to dwell on it any further tonight. Tomorrow would bring new challenges.

She opened the door to her room, and upon entering, she found a small figure sitting on the edge of her bed. It was Ethan. He was hugging a pillow, his eyes fixed on the floor, as if waiting for something.

—Ethan, what are you doing here? —Isabella asked, surprised and a little concerned.

The boy lifted his gaze, and for the first time since she met him, she saw a vulnerability in his eyes that he hadn’t shown before.

—Sometimes I can’t sleep —he murmured, barely audible—. And I don’t know... I thought maybe you could read me something or... I don’t know. The other nannies didn’t do that, but you... you’re not like them.

Isabella felt her heart tighten at that confession. The boy, who had been a whirlwind of rebellion and defiance, was showing a fragility that no one else seemed to have noticed.

—Sure, I can read you something —she said softly, approaching and taking a book from the small shelf in the room.

She sat next to him on the bed, carefully opening the book. As she began to read, Ethan settled beside her, resting his head on her shoulder, something that surprised her. As she read, she felt the boy relax, his breathing becoming slower and more peaceful.

Isabella stayed silent for a moment, watching him as he drifted off to sleep, feeling an inexplicable connection with him. Something deep, something she didn’t fully understand, but that was there. She wondered if she could truly help him heal or if this relationship with Ethan and his father would only bring more unanswered questions.

Before turning off the light, she gave the boy one last glance. He looked so small, so vulnerable, in contrast to the overwhelming personality he had shown during the day. Something stirred in her chest, a feeling of protection and affection she hadn’t expected to feel so soon.

However, what Isabella didn’t know was that this would only be the beginning of a whirlwind of emotions and revelations that would shake her life. The buried secrets, the hidden connections, and the mysteries surrounding the Blackwells were about to be uncovered, and nothing would be as she expected.

As she closed the door to the room, a shadow crossed the hallway. A figure silently watched from the darkness. Alexander, leaning against the wall, had witnessed the scene between Isabella and his son. His eyes reflected a mix of bewilderment and something else… something he couldn’t fully understand himself.

—This isn’t going to be easy —he thought to himself, as he walked away into the dim light. Because although Isabella didn’t know it yet, her arrival in the Blackwells’ life was destined to change everything.

And the next day, something would happ

en that would test Isabella in ways she never imagined.

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