That was when heavy footsteps came down the grand staircase. The hallway fell silent—everyone except Ivy. Marcus Hale, the reclusive billionaire owner of the mansion, appeared at the top of the stairs. Tall, broad-shouldered, sleeves rolled up, he scanned the scene with unreadable eyes until they landed on Lena, sweating and shaking as she clutched her crying child. “What’s going on?” he asked. His voice wasn’t cruel, but it carried enough weight to freeze the room. The supervisor rushed in with excuses, but Marcus barely listened. His focus stayed on Lena and the frantic baby. “Have you tried everything?” he asked quietly. Lena nodded, humiliated, apologizing and saying her daughter never cried like this. Then Marcus said something she never expected. “Let me try.” For a moment, she thought she’d misheard. The owner of the mansion wanted to hold her baby. Her heart pounded as he held out his arms—steady, patient, almost gentle. With trembling hands, Lena placed Ivy against his chest.