Chapter 3: An Unexpected Refuge
When Logan returned to the forty-seventh floor, the suite was completely quiet. He swiped his card and walked in to find Anna sitting on the floor by the glass window, her knees pulled to her chest, watching the street below. When she saw him enter, she stood up quickly, her eyes searching his face for the verdict.
"He's gone," Logan said, taking off his watch and placing it on the dresser. "The police removed him. My lawyers are enforcing the restraining order in this state first thing in the morning. He won't be coming near you or this building again."
Anna let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for years. She sank into a nearby armchair, covering her face as dry, exhausted sobs racked her body. "Thank you... thank you so much, Mr. Martin. I don't know how I'll ever repay you. I'll pack up the kids now. We'll find a twenty-four-hour diner or something..."
"Don't be ridiculous," Logan interrupted, walking over to the mini-bar to pour her a glass of water, which he handed to her. "It's two in the morning. The children are asleep. You aren't going to a diner."
"But this is your suite. I can't stay here."
"I have three other properties in Manhattan that I don't use," Logan said, his tone businesslike to hide the sudden, unfamiliar warmth growing in his chest. "But for tonight, you sleep here. There’s a secondary bedroom down the hall. I’ll take the sofa in the study."
Anna looked at the billionaire tycoon, unable to reconcile the ruthless reputation of Logan Martin with the man standing in front of her offering his own bed. "Why are you being so kind to us?"
Logan paused, looking out at the city skyline. "My mother used to clean offices down on Wall Street. When I was seven, my brother and I spent three nights sleeping under a desk because our apartment building caught fire and we had nowhere else to go. The building owner found us. He called the police, called us vermin, and threw us out into the snow. I promised myself back then that if I ever built a tower of my own, I would never let another child be thrown out into the cold."
Anna’s eyes softened, seeing the little boy beneath the expensive suit. "Your mother raised a good man, Mr. Martin."
"She raised a survivor," Logan corrected quietly. "Go to sleep, Anna. Tomorrow, we fix your life."
The next morning, the suite was filled with a sound Logan hadn't heard in years: children’s laughter. He woke up to the smell of coffee and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Stepping into the living room, he froze.
Sophia, the little girl, was sitting on the plush rug, carefully placing a pink hair clip onto the ear of Logan’s expensive, hand-carved Italian leather footstool. Samuel was sitting near the glass window, making engine noises as he rolled his faded stuffed elephant across the marble. Anna stood by the kitchen island, wearing a clean shirt the hotel staff had delivered, looking terrified that her children were making a mess.
"Sophia, Samuel, don't touch that," Anna warned softly.
"It’s fine," Logan said, stepping into the room.
The two toddlers stopped and looked up at the tall man. Sophia giggled and ran behind her mother's legs, peeking out with bright, curious eyes. Samuel, however, stood his ground, holding up his stuffed elephant.
"Elephant," the little boy announced proudly.
Logan knelt down so he was at eye level with the three-year-old. "What's his name?"
"Ellie," Samuel said.
"Well, Ellie looks like he’s traveled a lot," Logan murmured, gently patting the elephant’s faded head. He looked up at Anna, who was watching him with a strange, beautiful light in her green eyes. "I’ve arranged an apartment for you. It’s a corporate-owned brownstone in Brooklyn. Two bedrooms, a yard, fully furnished. It’s yours for as long as you need it."
May you like
Anna’s breath hitched. "Mr. Martin, I can't accept that. The rent must be—"
"The rent is zero," Logan said firmly, standing up. "Consider it a relocation bonus. You are being promoted to the corporate hospitality management training program starting Monday. No more cleaning rooms, Anna. It’s time you start running them."
