Fourteen caregivers had already fled Adrian Vale’s mansion, two by ambulance, but when I arrived needing the job desperately, one baseball flying at my head revealed that these four boys were hiding something far more painful than anger

They locked me in my third-floor bedroom.

I heard the heavy deadbolt click into place from the outside. A guard was stationed right in the hallway.

I paced back and forth across the room, my heart pounding in my chest like a caged beast. I had failed. Julian had the flash drive. The truth about Evelyn Vale was going to be erased forever, and those four innocent boys would remain trapped under the control of a murderer.

I sank down onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands.

Click.

A faint, metallic scraping sound came from the heavy brass air vent near the floorboards.

I froze, lifting my head.

The metal grill of the air vent was slowly pushed outward. A small, dark-haired head popped out.

It was Caleb, the eight-year-old artist.

“Caleb!” I gasped, rushing over and dropping to my knees. “What are you doing?”

“The laundry chute connects to the ventilation shaft,” Caleb whispered, his face covered in gray dust. “Noah showed me. We heard Julian lie to Daddy.”

Behind Caleb, the tiny face of Eli appeared.

“Miss Emma,” Eli sniffled, holding out his tiny hand through the vent.

In his palm was a crumpled, dust-covered piece of paper.

“What is this?” I asked, taking the paper.

“When Julian took the black thumb drive from you in the studio,” Caleb whispered, “he didn't see the red one.”

“Red one?”

Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, bright red micro-SD card.

“Mommy was smart,” Caleb said, a brilliant, proud smile breaking across his dust-covered face. “She kept two copies. She hid the tiny red card inside my stuffed puppy’s ear three years ago. She told me only to give it to someone who stayed.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I reached through the vent and touched Caleb’s cheek. “You brave, brilliant boy.”

“Daddy is in his study with Julian right now,” Caleb said urgency in his voice. “Julian is telling him to sign papers to send us away to a boarding school in Switzerland.”

My blood boiled with fresh determination. Julian wasn't just hiding his crimes; he was trying to shatter this family completely so he could take full control of Adrian’s corporate empire.

“Caleb, can you get me out of this room?”

Caleb pointed to the vent. “You can't fit through here. But Noah took the spare key from Mrs. Gable’s apron!”

A second later, a soft clack echoed at my bedroom door. The handle turned, and the door swung open.

Noah stood in the hallway, holding a heavy iron frying pan. The guard who had been stationed outside was sitting on the floor, groaning, holding a massive lump on the back of his head.

Noah looked at me, a fierce, protective glint in his eyes. “Nobody messes with our nanny.”

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears. “Let's go save your dad.”

We hurried down the back servants' staircase, avoiding the main security patrols.

When we reached the ground floor, we stood outside the thick oak doors of Adrian’s private study. I could hear Julian’s smooth, persuasive voice through the wood.

“...It’s for the best, Adrian. The boys need structure. Switzerland has the best private facilities. With them safe overseas, you can focus on recovering your health, and I will handle the corporate restructuring.”

“They are all I have left of Evelyn, Julian...” Adrian’s voice sounded entirely broken, hollowed out by years of unbearable grief.

“Evelyn is gone, my friend,” Julian lied smoothly. “You have to let go.”

I didn't knock. I kicked the double doors wide open with all the force I had.

BANG!

The heavy doors slammed against the walls.

Adrian and Julian both spun around in shock.

“Emma?” Adrian gasped, standing up from his desk. “How did you—”

“Shut up and look at this, Adrian!” I roared, marching straight into the center of the room, flanked by Noah, Lucas, Caleb, and Eli.

Julian’s eyes narrowed into dark slits of hatred. “Guards!” he called out.

“Your guards are busy, Vance!” Noah snapped, holding his frying pan high.

I slammed the tiny red micro-SD card onto Adrian’s mahogany desk, right on top of the legal boarding-school documents Julian had been pushing him to sign.

“Put that into your computer, Adrian,” I commanded, my voice trembling with raw emotional power. “Look at what your wife left for you before Julian tampered with her car!”

Adrian looked down at the tiny red card, then at his four sons, who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of me, staring at him with tear-filled, hopeful eyes.

“Adrian, don't listen to this crazy woman—” Julian began, stepping forward to snatch the memory card.

CLANG!

Noah slammed the iron frying pan onto the desk, inches from Julian’s hand. “Don't touch it!”