The Billionaire Was Declared Brain Dead—But His Maid’s Crying Toddler Refused to Leave His Side
Chapter 2
Claire barely slept that night.
She sat in the small waiting room outside the ICU with Liam asleep against her shoulder.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Adrian’s finger move.
She had worked for him for almost three years.
She knew his habits.
His handwriting.
The way he tapped his fingers against a desk when thinking.
The way he stared at people when they lied.
And, more recently, the way his expression softened whenever Liam entered the room.
That was the part nobody at the hospital knew.
To the world, Claire was simply a live-in maid.
She cleaned the mansion, prepared meals, organized laundry, and looked after Liam while working.
Adrian’s employees rarely spoke to her.
The board probably didn’t even know her name.
But Claire had seen things powerful people thought nobody noticed.
She had noticed Adrian stop sleeping properly after receiving several confidential reports.
She had noticed his arguments with Marcus Reed, the company’s chief operating officer.
And she remembered Adrian saying something strange two weeks earlier.
“If I ever tell you not to trust someone, Claire, don’t ask why.”
She had laughed at the time.
“That’s terrifying, sir.”
He hadn’t laughed.
Now she wished she had asked.
At 5:40 a.m., a hospital administrator approached her.
“Miss Bennett?”
Claire stood.
“Yes?”
“There are some legal procedures concerning Mr. Blackwell’s estate that may begin very soon.”
Claire frowned.
“Estate?”
“He was declared brain dead.”
“I know what they said.”
The administrator handed her a folder.
“Mr. Blackwell’s attorneys will handle everything, but there are certain employment and housing matters that may need clarification.”
Claire opened the folder.
Her hands went cold.
There was a document asking her to vacate the Blackwell estate within seventy-two hours.
She looked up.
“Why am I receiving this already?”
The administrator hesitated.
“I was told Mr. Reed’s office requested preliminary processing.”
Marcus.
Claire closed the folder.
“My employer is still alive.”
The administrator’s expression softened.
“I understand you’re grieving.”
“You don’t understand.”
Claire’s voice shook.
“He moved his finger.”
Before the administrator could respond, Liam began crying from the chair.
Claire rushed back to him.
“It’s okay, baby.”
The toddler pointed at the ICU.
“Da-da.”
A nurse came out.
“Mrs. Bennett, you need rest.”
Claire looked through the glass.
Adrian remained still.
“Can my son stay with him?”
The nurse hesitated.
“This isn’t really appropriate.”
“He won’t leave.”
The nurse looked at Liam’s tearful face.
“Five minutes.”
Claire carried him inside.
Liam immediately reached for Adrian.
This time Claire placed the toddler’s hand against Adrian’s palm.
The monitor changed.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep-beep.
A nurse frowned.
“That’s interesting.”
“What?”
“The heart rate increased.”
Claire stared at Adrian.
The nurse touched his shoulder, checked his pupils, and examined the equipment.
“Could be stimulation.”
“Then let him stay.”
“We can’t draw conclusions from that.”
Claire nodded.
“I know.”
But she quietly pulled out her phone.
She began recording.
For twenty minutes, Liam stayed beside the bed.
Whenever Claire tried to move him away, his breathing became frantic.
And whenever she let his little hand rest against Adrian’s, the monitor showed the same subtle increase.
Claire didn’t know what it meant.
But for the first time since the accident, she felt something other than despair.
She felt suspicion.
