Jasper cradled Dominic's small fingers, his voice honey-sweet. "Shh, little one. Be good for Papa."
The calculating gleam in his eyes went completely unnoticed by Penelope.
She saw only the tender way he gazed at their son, and her chest tightened with longing.
"He burned with fever all night," Penelope whispered, exhaustion weighing down every word. "I couldn't sleep—had to keep watch until it broke. Days are manageable, but nights..." Her voice cracked. "They're hell."
Jasper, with his prestigious position, would never dirty his hands with such mundane tasks.
Helping with childcare was beneath him.
These domestic burdens barely registered as real problems in his mind.
After all, common women managed several children without complaint.
His wife had servants—surely she had no legitimate reason for fatigue.
He remained blind to Penelope's sleepless vigils, how she held Dominic through endless dark hours.
