Chapter 6 - The Apology From The Billionaire To The Child
Caleb kept his voice impossibly soft,
gentle,
and reassuring as he knelt before the trembling little girl.
"May I?"
Caleb asked quietly,
holding up the small gold package between his fingers.
Lily slowly peeked out from behind her mother's shoulder,
her big, wet eyes blinking at the man she had practiced singing happy birthday to all afternoon.
She gave a tiny, hesitant nod.
Caleb carefully unwrapped the top fold of the wrinkled gold paper,
revealing the dark brown leather writing journal inside.
The initial engraving in the corner caught the soft hallway light:
C.W.
Caleb ran his thumb gently across the embossed letters,
remembering the exact moment nearly a year earlier when he had muttered his desire for a simple paper journal while standing in the estate's rose garden.
He looked back up at Grace,
then down at Lily.
"This,"
Caleb said,
his voice thick with genuine emotion,
"is the finest birthday gift I have ever received in my entire life."
Lily’s lower lip stopped trembling.
A tiny, cautious spark of a smile appeared on her face.
"Really,
Mr. Caleb?"
Lily whispered,
her voice small and sweet.
"Really,"
Caleb answered,
smiling back at her with a warmth that none of his business partners had ever witnessed.
"In fact,
it is so special that I want to open it right now."
Caleb carefully peeled away the rest of the paper,
revealing the blank, elegant pages inside.
He opened to the first page,
pulled a sleek fountain pen from his pocket,
and wrote something down with rapid, steady strokes.
Grace watched in stunned silence,
wondering what on earth was happening.
Caleb tore the clean page out of the journal,
folded it neatly,
and handed it directly to Grace.
"Put this in a safe place,
Grace,"
Caleb instructed quietly.
"That is your employment contract update,
guaranteeing your position as head of household operations with a salary increase that reflects your true value,
along with a fully funded college trust for Lily."
Grace gasped,
her hands flying to her mouth as tears finally spilled over her eyelashes.
"Mr. Westbrook... I... I can't accept this,"
Grace choked out,
her knees feeling weak.
"You already have,"
Caleb said firmly,
standing up to his full height.
May you like
"And now,
there is something else I need to handle out there."
