Chapter 6 - The True Estate
The recovery suite in the private medical wing was filled with warm morning sunlight.
Emmy Sterling sat propped up against a mountain of white pillows, her favorite stuffed rabbit propped beside her on the blanket. The plastic pen was gone, replaced by a neat, sterile surgical bandage across her throat. She looked pale, but her eyes were bright, clear, and full of life.
When Noel and Knox walked into the room, Emmy’s face lit up with a wide, gap-toothed smile.
“Noel!” the little girl cheered, stretching out her small arms.
Noel didn't hesitate. She rushed to the side of the bed, gently wrapping her arms around Emmy, burying her face softly against the child’s shoulder, careful not to disturb the bandage.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Noel whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “How are you feeling?”
“My throat hurts a little,” Emmy admitted honestly, pulling back to look up at Noel with wide, adoring eyes. “Daddy said you used a magic pen to save me. Can I see it?”
Noel laughed softly, pulling the gold-plated, disassembled plastic barrel of Conrad’s pen out of her pocket and setting it gently on the bedside table. “It’s not magic, Emmy. It’s just refusing to give up.”
Knox stood by the window, watching them with his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. The harsh, terrifying underworld boss was entirely gone, replaced by a father who had been given a second chance at the only thing in the world that truly mattered.
“The estate has an opening,” Knox said quietly, walking over to stand beside the bed, looking down at Noel with an intense, unwavering gaze. “We need a permanent, highly qualified family physician and medical director for the Sterling household. Someone with an unyielding backbone, sharp instincts, and zero tolerance for nonsense.”
Noel looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat. “Are you offering me a job, Mr. Sterling?”
“I’m offering you a partnership,” Knox corrected, a slow, confident smile spreading across his face. “You protect my family, Noel. And I’ll make sure no one ever makes you bow your head in this city again.”
Emmy grabbed both of their hands, pulling Noel’s palm toward Knox’s until their fingers intertwined. “Say yes, Noel! Please?”
Noel looked down at their joined hands, then up at Knox Sterling—the most dangerous man in Las Vegas, who was currently looking at her as if she were the only light in his world.
She smiled, her chest warm, her spine straight, and her head held higher than it had ever been in her life.
May you like
“Yes,” Noel said. “I’ll take the job.”
Outside the window, the sun climbed high over the desert horizon, washing the entire estate in a brilliant, unbreakable light.
