Dominic Vale studies the young woman standing before him. His sharp eyes scanned her posture—the rigid line of her shoulders, the quiet defiance in her hazel eyes.

Dominic Vale studies the young woman standing before him. His sharp eyes scanned her posture—the rigid line of her shoulders, the quiet defiance in her hazel eyes. She wasn't trembling, which immediately separated her from the dozens of applicants the agency had paraded through his doors over the past six months.

"They are not badly behaved children, " Dominic repeated, his deep voice carrying a quiet, dangerous authority. "They are angry. There is a distinct difference. "

"Anger doesn't excuse throwing fourteen-thousand-dollar vases, Mr. Vale, " Hannah replied calmly, holding his gaze. "My daughter Sophie gets angry when she can't finish her coloring book. She pouts. She doesn't commit acts of architectural terrorism. "

A muscle twitched in Dominic's jaw. It was the closest thing to a smile he had shown anyone in years.

"You have a sharp tongue, Miss Reed. Let us see if it survives dinner with them. "

He stood, towering over the desk, and gestured toward the massive double doors leading into the dining hall. The estate was vast,echoing with a hollow,oppressive silence that feels more like a mausoleum than a family home.The tragedy of Elena Vale's death six months ago still hung in the air like a suffocating shroud,poisoning every corner of the house.

In the dining room,the triplets sat in high-backed chairs that made them look even smaller than they were.Lucas,Mason,and Theo.Identical in their dark curls and haunting gray eyes,yet distinct in their malice.

At the head of the table,Dominic took his seat.Hannah remained standing beside him,her hands folded over her thrift-store skirt.

"Sit,Dominic instructed.

"I'm the nanny,Mr.Vale.I stand."

"Sit," he repeated,lower this time,a command that brook no argument.

Hannah pulled out a two-seat chair down from Lucas.

The meal was silent.agonizing affair until Mason,with a sly grin,reached for a silver pitcher of ice water and deliberately tipped it over toward Hannah's side of the table.Water cascaded across the white linen cloth,heading straight for her lap.

Before the liquid could soak through her skirt,Hannah's hand moved like lightning.She caught the edge of the cloth,creating a makeshift trough that diverted the water onto the floor,keeping herself entirely dry.

She looked across the table straight at Mason.

"Nice try,Mason.But my mother raised three brothers in Queens.You amateurs have a long way to go."

Mason's mouth dropped open.Lucas glared at her.his fork clattering against his plate.

"You don't belong here,Lucas muttered,his voice shaking with a potent mixture of grief and fury."Mommy is coming back."You're just another fake who wants Dad's money."

The air in the room instantly turned glacial.Dominic's head snaps toward his oldest son,his expression darkened into a mask of pure intimidation.

"Lucas,Dominic warned,his voice a low,The rumble.

Hannah didn't flinch.however,She looked past the boys,scanning the shadows of the high-ceilinged room where a butler and a maid stood frozen against the wainscoting.Something felt off.A subtle shift in the air,a shadow moving too fast near the French doors leading to the East Garden.

"Mr.Vale,Hannah said quietly,ignoring Lucas's outburst."Does your security system cover the perimeter windows after dark?"