Lily looked down at the baby, who was now gazing up at her with wide, curious eyes.
Then Emily smiled.
It was a small, beautiful smile.
The first genuine smile Adrian had seen from his daughter in weeks.
His breath caught in his throat.
"She..." he whispered.
Lily looked up.
"Yes, sir?"
"She smiled."
There was something almost childlike in Adrian's voice.
He stepped closer, unable to take his eyes off his daughter.
"Emily, sweetheart..."
The baby made a soft sound and reached one tiny hand toward Lily's face.
Lily smiled back.
"Hello, beautiful girl."
Adrian felt something strange inside his chest.
For six months, he had been searching for a way to make his daughter happy.
He had spent fortunes.
He had traveled across countries.
He had consulted specialists.
And yet, somehow, a young woman wearing a simple hotel uniform had accomplished what all his money could not.
She had made his daughter smile.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Lily Bennett."
"Lily," he repeated slowly.
He looked at Emily again.
"Would you consider helping us?"
Lily blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"I need someone who can understand my daughter. Someone she feels comfortable with."
Victoria immediately stepped forward.
"Adrian, we already have a professional nanny."
"Then perhaps we need someone different."
"But she's a hotel employee!"
Adrian ignored her.
His attention remained on Lily.
"I'd like to offer you a position at my home. The salary would be considerably higher than what you earn here."
Lily looked down at Emily.
The baby had fallen asleep against her shoulder.
For a moment, Lily forgot about the expensive ballroom, the impatient woman, and the billionaire standing in front of her.
She simply held the sleeping child.
Then she remembered the last time she had held a baby like this.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
"Sir," she whispered, "I don't think you understand."
"Understand what?"
Lily looked into his eyes.
"I'm not sure I can do this."
Adrian's expression changed.
"Why not?"
She gently returned Emily to his arms.
"Because sometimes, getting attached to someone else's child can hurt more than you imagine."
Before he could ask what she meant, Lily stepped backward.
"Good night, sir."
She picked up her cleaning tray and walked away.
Adrian watched her disappear through the service entrance.
Emily stirred in his arms.
For the first time that evening, she did not cry.
Instead, she opened her eyes and looked toward the door where Lily had disappeared.
And Adrian Sterling, a man who believed every problem could be solved with enough money, suddenly realized that he had no idea how to find the one thing his daughter seemed to need.
The stranger who had made his baby smile had just walked away.
And he had a feeling that her story was far more complicated than she wanted anyone to know.
The following morning, Adrian Sterling woke up to the sound he had come to fear more than anything else.
Emily was crying.
He immediately sat up in bed and reached for his phone.
"Where is Sarah?" he asked when his head housekeeper answered.
"She's in the nursery, sir. But I'm afraid Miss Emily hasn't slept properly all night."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"Give me five minutes."
He quickly dressed and walked down the enormous marble staircase toward the nursery. The moment he entered, he found Sarah standing beside the crib, looking completely exhausted.
Emily's face was red, and tears covered her little cheeks.
"What happened?"
"She refused her bottle, sir. I've tried everything. She only wants to be held."
Adrian lifted his daughter.
"Come here, sweetheart."
Emily cried even louder.
He tried walking around the room, singing softly, and gently patting her back. Nothing worked.
"Perhaps we should call the pediatrician again," Sarah suggested.
"No. We've already done that."
Adrian looked at his daughter.
Then, suddenly, he remembered something.
A young woman in a hotel uniform.
A gentle voice.
A simple lullaby.
And the smile that had disappeared from his daughter's face almost immediately after she left.
"Lily Bennett," he murmured.
Sarah looked confused.
"Who is Lily, sir?"
"The woman who held Emily last night."
He took out his phone.
"Find her."
Within twenty minutes, Adrian had contacted the hotel's management and obtained Lily's employment information. He learned that she lived in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city and had no family listed as an emergency contact.
He also discovered that she had previously worked at a children's clinic.
But what interested him most was the note attached to her employment record.
Former childcare assistant. Resigned following a personal family tragedy.
Adrian stared at the sentence.
What kind of tragedy could make a woman leave a profession she clearly loved?
He didn't know.
And he wasn't sure he had the right to ask.
Meanwhile, Lily was standing in her tiny kitchen, preparing breakfast before another long shift.
Her apartment was modest, with old furniture and peeling paint near the windows. A small photograph stood on the dining table.
It showed Lily holding a baby girl.
The child's name was Sophie.
Lily touched the photograph with trembling fingers.
"Good morning, my angel," she whispered.
Her phone rang.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Miss Bennett? This is Adrian Sterling."
Lily froze.
"Good morning, sir."
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all."
"I wanted to discuss something with you."
Lily already knew what he was going to say.
"About Emily?"
"Yes. She hasn't stopped crying since you left yesterday."
Lily lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Would you consider visiting us? Just for a few hours."
She remained silent.
"Miss Bennett, I'm not asking you to make a commitment. I simply want my daughter to feel comfortable."
Lily glanced at Sophie's photograph.