Chapter 1 - The Footsteps Behind Her
“Stop it, please.”
“You’re breaking his arm.”
Lily Harper’s scream tore through the marble foyer of the Blackwood mansion.
Fourteen-month-old Ethan Blackwood was on the floor, crying so hard that his little body could barely pull in a breath.
Serena Montigue had one hand locked around his wrist.
She dragged him across the polished marble as though he were an object that had been left in her way.
Ethan’s cheeks had gone from red to a frightening shade of purple.
His cries were weakening.
Lily dropped the folded blanket she had been carrying.
“Let him go.”
Serena did not.
She pulled Ethan another foot toward the bottom of the staircase.
“He needs to learn.”
“He is fourteen months old.”
“He understands more than you think.”
“He understands that you’re hurting him.”
Serena’s head snapped toward Lily.
The softness she used around guests vanished from her face.
“You work for me.”
“I work for Mr. Blackwood.”
“Victor is marrying me.”
“That doesn’t make this right.”
Serena gave a humorless laugh.
“You really have started believing you matter here.”
Ethan whimpered.
Lily moved forward.
Serena tightened her fingers around the child’s wrist.
“Another step and I’ll have you thrown out before dinner.”
Lily stopped.
Not because she was afraid for herself.
Because Ethan’s arm twisted when Serena moved.
“Please.”
“I’ll take him upstairs.”
“I’ll keep him quiet.”
“You’ll do nothing.”
Serena leaned down.
Her voice became low enough that Ethan could not understand the words, but Lily could.
“This child has ruined enough of my life already.”
Lily felt cold spread through her body.
“What did you say?”
Serena straightened.
“I said he needs discipline.”
“No.”
“That isn’t what you said.”
Serena released Ethan suddenly.
His small body rolled onto his side.
Lily rushed forward.
She scooped him against her chest.
Ethan buried his wet face against her shoulder.
His entire body trembled.
Lily checked his wrist.
A red hand-shaped mark was already forming around the delicate skin.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Serena watched them with irritation rather than concern.
“You make him weak.”
Lily looked up.
“He is a baby.”
“And he is Victor Blackwood’s son.”
“Which means everyone in this house will spend his entire life telling him he is special.”
Serena walked closer.
“Someone has to teach him otherwise.”
Lily took one step backward.
She had seen Serena angry before.
She had watched her dismiss servants for bringing the wrong flowers.
She had heard her ridicule cooks, drivers, cleaners, and security men the second Victor left the room.
But this was different.
There was something in Serena’s eyes Lily had never seen so clearly.
Hatred.
Not frustration.
Not exhaustion.
Hatred.
Lily’s right hand slipped toward the pocket of her uniform.
Inside it was a small digital recorder.
She had begun carrying it three weeks earlier.
She had not planned to.
The first recording had happened by accident after Serena screamed at Ethan for spilling juice.
The second recording had been intentional.
So had every recording afterward.
Lily had nearly shown them to Victor twice.
Both times she had stopped herself.
Victor Blackwood was not an ordinary employer.
His name appeared in newspapers beside shipping companies, luxury hotels, construction firms, and charitable foundations.
His name also appeared in whispers beside things newspapers could never prove.
Men lowered their voices when they said Blackwood.
Police officers knew his cars.
Judges knew his lawyers.
Politicians knew his donations.
People smiled when Victor entered restaurants because they were terrified of doing anything else.
Lily had no idea what a man like that would do if she accused the woman he intended to marry.
Serena seemed to sense Lily’s hesitation.
She smiled.
“You won’t tell him.”
Lily’s fingers froze inside her pocket.
Serena’s smile widened.
“You think I haven’t noticed?”
“Noticed what?”
“The way you look at Victor when you think nobody is watching.”
Lily stared at her.
“That has nothing to do with Ethan.”
“It has everything to do with Ethan.”
Serena moved closer.
“You want to play little mother to his child.”
“You want him to notice how gentle you are.”
“You want him to compare us.”
Lily shook her head.
“I want Ethan safe.”
“You want my life.”
“No.”
“You came into this house with two cheap suitcases and a reference letter.”
Serena looked Lily up and down.
“And now you walk around these halls as if the Blackwood family needs you.”
Ethan clutched Lily’s collar.
Lily kissed the top of his head.
“He needs somebody.”
Serena’s expression hardened.
“He has me.”
Lily met her eyes.
“That’s what scares me.”
Silence filled the foyer.
Even Ethan stopped crying for a moment.
Serena’s face changed.
Slowly.
Completely.
The anger disappeared.
A calm smile took its place.
Lily had learned to fear that smile more than the shouting.
“Give him to me.”
“No.”
“You did not just say no.”
“I’m taking him to the nursery.”
“You are going to give me that child.”
“No.”
Serena reached for Ethan.
Lily turned her body sideways to shield him.
Serena grabbed Lily’s shoulder.
“Give him to me.”
“Get your hand off me.”
“You forget where you are.”
“No.”
“You forget who I am.”
“No.”
Serena dug her nails deeper into Lily’s uniform.
“I could ruin you with one phone call.”
Lily said nothing.
“I could tell Victor you hurt Ethan.”
Lily’s stomach tightened.
Serena noticed.
“There.”
“That frightened you.”
“Because it would be a lie.”
“A believable one.”
“You think Victor would believe you?”
“I know he would.”
Serena leaned closer.
“He loves me.”
Lily heard something then.
A sound beyond the archway leading toward the western corridor.
One slow footstep.
Then another.
Heavy.
Measured.
Serena did not hear it.
She was too focused on Lily.
“I can tell him you lose your temper.”
Another footstep.
“I can say I walked in and found you shaking Ethan.”
Another.
“I can tell him I tried to stop you.”
The footsteps grew closer.
Lily’s heart suddenly began pounding for a different reason.
Serena continued.
“I can say the marks on his wrist came from you.”
Another step.
Lily’s eyes moved toward the dark corridor.
A tall figure stood just beyond the doorway.
Black overcoat.
Broad shoulders.
Rainwater glistening along the fabric.
Victor Blackwood had returned from Chicago two days early.
Nobody had told the household.
Nobody had told Serena.
His face revealed absolutely nothing.
That was worse than anger.
Lily felt the blood leave her face.
Serena followed her gaze.
She turned.
For the first time since Lily had known her, Serena Montigue looked genuinely afraid.
Victor stepped into the foyer.
His voice was quiet.
“What marks on my son’s wrist?”
Serena opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Victor’s eyes moved to Ethan.
Then to the small red bruising around his wrist.
Then to Lily’s frightened face.
Then back to Serena.
“Victor.”
Serena recovered quickly.
Too quickly.
“Thank God you’re here.”
She rushed toward him.
Victor did not move.
Serena stopped several feet away.
“Something terrible happened.”
Victor looked at Lily.
“Tell me.”
Serena interrupted.
“The nanny lost control.”
Lily stared at her.
Victor’s eyes returned to Serena.
“She did what?”
“I came downstairs because Ethan was screaming.”
Serena’s voice began shaking perfectly.
“I found Lily dragging him.”
Lily could hardly believe the ease with which the lie came.
“I tried to stop her.”
Serena placed one hand over her mouth.
“She became aggressive.”
“That is not what happened.”
Serena pointed at Lily.
“You see?”
“She’s already trying to twist this.”
Victor lifted one hand.
Both women fell silent.
He walked toward Ethan.
Lily did not move.
Victor’s expression changed the moment he saw his son up close.
His jaw tightened.
“Give him to me.”
Lily hesitated only because Ethan was clinging desperately to her.
“It’s okay.”
Victor extended his arms.
“Come here, little man.”
Ethan looked at his father.
Then he reached toward him.
Victor took him carefully.
Ethan immediately pressed his face against Victor’s chest.
Victor examined the child’s wrist.
His thumb hovered over the bruising without touching it.
“Call Dr. Ames.”
One of the security men who had appeared behind him nodded.
“Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Serena stepped forward.
“Victor, I can explain.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
Relief flickered across her face.
Then Victor finished.
“You’re going to explain everything.”
Serena swallowed.
Victor turned to Lily.
“What happened?”
Serena started again.
“She’ll lie.”
Victor’s eyes cut toward her.
“If you interrupt her once more, you leave this house immediately.”
Serena froze.
Lily held his gaze.
Her hands were shaking.
Victor noticed.
“Lily.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Lily looked at Serena.
Then at Ethan.
Then at the pocket containing the recorder.
She had imagined this moment so many times.
In every version she had been afraid Victor would dismiss her.
Now she was afraid of something else.
What would happen once he believed her.
“She dragged Ethan by his arm.”
Serena’s face twisted.
“That’s absurd.”
Victor looked at her.
Serena stopped.
Lily continued.
“He was crying.”
“She said he needed to learn.”
“She said he had ruined enough of her life.”
Victor’s eyes became colder.
Serena shook her head.
“She’s obsessed with you.”
“She wants me gone.”
Lily reached into her pocket.
Serena’s breathing changed.
Victor noticed that too.
Lily removed the recorder.
The red light was still blinking.
“I started recording because I was afraid nobody would believe me.”
Serena turned white.
Victor looked at the device.
“How long?”
“Three weeks.”
Serena whispered something.
Victor did not hear.
Lily did.
“You stupid little bitch.”
Victor’s head turned.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Lily pressed the stop button.
“There are twenty-six recordings.”
Victor became completely still.
Serena stared at Lily as if she wanted to kill her.
Victor held out his hand.
Lily placed the recorder in his palm.
“Some of them are only a few minutes.”
“Some are longer.”
“There’s one from last Tuesday you should hear first.”
Serena moved.
Fast.
She lunged toward Victor’s hand.
She never reached it.
One of Victor’s security men intercepted her.
“Let me go.”
“Miss Montigue.”
“Get your hands off me.”
Victor looked at Serena.
“You wanted that recorder badly.”
“She’s manipulating you.”
Victor pressed a button.
A tiny speaker crackled.
Serena’s recorded voice filled the enormous foyer.
“If you keep crying, I swear I’ll give you something worth crying about.”
Then Ethan’s recorded sobbing.
Then Lily.
“Don’t touch him.”
Then Serena.
“Victor isn’t here.”
“And what Victor doesn’t see cannot hurt me.”
Victor stopped the recording.
Nobody moved.
Serena’s face had lost every trace of color.
Victor stared at her.
The silence stretched so long that Lily could hear the rain tapping the windows.
Finally Serena whispered.
“You don’t understand.”
Victor’s gaze never changed.
“You have ten seconds to give me a reason not to have you removed from this house.”
Serena looked toward the security men.
Then toward Lily.
Then toward the child in Victor’s arms.
Something desperate entered her expression.
“Ask Lily why she really started recording.”
Lily frowned.
Victor’s eyes shifted toward her.
Serena smiled shakily.
“She hasn’t told you everything.”
Lily’s pulse jumped.
“I have nothing to hide.”
“Oh, yes you do.”
Serena pointed at the recorder.
“Play recording fourteen.”
Lily froze.
Victor noticed.
“What’s on fourteen?”
Serena laughed.
“There.”
“Look at her face.”
Lily’s mind raced.
Recording fourteen had been made inside the nursery.
She remembered Ethan crying.
She remembered Serena arguing with someone on the telephone.
But there had been something else.
Something Lily had not understood at the time.
Serena took a slow breath.
“Play it, Victor.”
Victor looked at Lily.
Lily nodded.
“Play it.”
Victor scrolled through the files.
He selected number fourteen.
Static filled the foyer.
Then Serena’s voice appeared.
“I don’t care what the doctor said.”
A man answered through a phone speaker.
“If the boy keeps reacting like this, somebody will notice.”
Victor’s expression changed.
Lily stared at the recorder.
She had forgotten that line.
Serena’s recorded voice became sharper.
“Then change the dosage.”
The man answered.
“We agreed this would happen slowly.”
Victor stopped the recording.
The foyer went silent again.
This time even Serena looked shocked.
Not because of what Victor had heard.
Because Lily had recorded more than Serena realized.
Victor slowly raised his eyes.
“What dosage?”
Serena said nothing.
Victor’s voice dropped.
“What were you giving my son?”
And somewhere upstairs, a glass window suddenly shattered.
Every security guard reached for his weapon.
Lily looked toward the staircase.
Victor pulled Ethan tightly against his chest.
A shadow moved across the second-floor landing.
Someone else was inside the mansion.
May you like
And whoever it was had just realized the recordings existed.
---
