Gloria nodded, tears spilling onto her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Whitmore. I never meant to betray your trust. I was just trying to help her.”

Michael softened slightly, recognizing the genuine concern in her voice. “We’ll talk about this later, Gloria. For now, please leave us.”

As Gloria left the room, Michael turned his attention to Emily, who had calmed in his presence. He held her close, her small body fitting perfectly against his chest. He vowed to keep a closer watch over her care, to ensure nothing like this would happen again. The incident had been a wake-up call—a reminder that he couldn’t be too careful when it came to his daughter’s wellbeing.