The front door opened, heavy boots on marble. The man in the leather vest walked in, stopping when he saw everyone crying.
“What happened?”
The billionaire looked up. “She spoke.”
The man froze. “What?”
“She said thank you. Out loud.”
The man’s face crumpled. He walked over slowly and knelt beside the girl. She looked at him and smiled. He covered his face with his hands. His shoulders shook. The billionaire put a hand on his back.
“I owe you an apology.”
The man shook his head, voice breaking. “You don’t.”
“I do. You tried to tell me. I didn’t listen.”
“You were scared. I get it.”
“That’s no excuse.”
The man wiped his eyes. “I failed her. For weeks I knew something was wrong and I couldn’t prove it.”
“You didn’t fail her. You kept trying when everyone else gave up.”
The man looked at the girl. “I should have done more.”
She reached out and touched his hand. He lost it, sobbing like a child. She didn’t understand why, but she hugged him anyway. The billionaire looked at Skye’s mom.
“That’s Marcus. He’s been with us for three years. Drives. Does security. Watches over her like she’s his own.”
Marcus wiped his face, embarrassed. “Sorry. I don’t usually…”
“Don’t apologize,” Skye’s mom said gently. “You care about her. That’s obvious.”
He nodded, standing up. “I just wish I could have stopped it sooner.”
“You tried,” the billionaire said. “That’s more than most people did.”
Marcus looked at Skye. “You’re the one who figured it out.”
Skye shrugged. “I just felt something was wrong.”
“That’s more than feeling. That’s a gift.”
The girl tugged on Marcus’s sleeve. He looked down. She signed something. He read her hands and smiled.
“You want me to stay?” She nodded. “I’m not going anywhere, kid.” She hugged him again.
The billionaire stood up, walking to the window. He stared out at the driveway. “Someone did this to her,” he said quietly. “Someone I trusted.”
Marcus crossed his arms. “You have a list?”
“A short one.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Brennan. The nanny. A few people from the medical team.”
“You really think one of them?”
“I don’t know what to think. But that chip didn’t get there by accident.”
Skye’s mom shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe we should go.”
“No,” the billionaire said, turning around. “Please stay. I need you here.”
“Why?”
“Because your daughter is the only reason we found out. And if someone’s willing to hurt my child, I need people around me I can trust.”
“You just met us.”
“I know. But Skye did something no one else would. That tells me everything I need to know.”
Skye’s mom hesitated. “We can’t get involved in…”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking you to stay, for a little while.”
Marcus nodded. “He’s right. If someone did this, they might come back.”
Skye’s mom looked at Skye. “What do you think?”
Skye looked at the girl. She was smiling. Happy. Free. “I think we should stay,” Skye said.
Her mom sighed. “Okay. But just for today.”
The billionaire nodded. “That’s all I’m asking.”
The girl climbed back onto the couch next to Skye. She picked up her crayons and started coloring again. But this time she hummed. Quiet. Off-key. But it was sound. Her sound. And everyone in the room stopped to listen.
An hour later, tires screeched outside. Everyone looked toward the window. A black SUV skidded to a stop in the driveway.
The billionaire’s face went pale. “That’s my wife.”
The front door flew open. A woman in a business suit stormed in, heels clicking fast on the marble. “James, what the hell is going on? You called me out of a meeting.”
She stopped when she saw everyone in the living room: her daughter, Marcus, two strangers on the couch.
“Who are they?” she asked.
The billionaire walked over. “Honey, sit down.”
“I don’t wanna sit down. I wanna know what’s happening.”
He took her hand. “Our daughter can hear.”
She blinked. “What?”
“She can hear. Not perfectly, but she’s hearing sounds.”
His wife looked at their daughter who was still coloring on the couch. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s not. Show her, baby.”..
