Chapter 4 - The Shadow Returns
At ten o’clock on Saturday morning, the peace of the estate was shattered by the sharp, obnoxious blare of a sports car horn outside the front gates.
I was in the living room helping Mason, Luke, and Leo build a massive fort out of sofa cushions and bedsheets when the heavy oak front doors flew open.
In walked Vanessa Carter.
She looked like she had stepped off a runway in Milan. She wore a ivory trench coat, oversized sunglasses, and high heels that clicked like gunshots against the marble floor. Behind her were two men in sharp grey suits carrying leather briefcases, followed by a photographer holding a high-end camera.
“Oh, look at this depressing museum,” Vanessa drawled, sliding her sunglasses down her nose. She looked around the cavernous foyer with disgust before her eyes landed on the fort in the living room—and then on me.
Her lip curled in disdain. “And who allowed the domestic help to turn my former home into a daycare?”
I stood up slowly, smoothing down my jeans, stepping instinctively in front of the three boys. “Mrs. Carter. This is private property. Mr. Carter is in his study.”
Vanessa laughed, a sharp, artificial sound. “I don't need permission to enter a home where my children are being raised in filth by a hired servant.” She turned to her photographer. “Get a picture of this. The neglect is appalling. My sons are sitting on the floor with... whatever that child is.”
She pointed a manicured, ruby-red nail at Leo.
Instantly, my blood boiled. “Do not talk about my son,” I said, my voice dropping into a dangerous, icy tone that made Vanessa’s photographer pause.
“Maya, stay back,” William’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
He descended the staircase, dressed in a dark suit, his face an unreadable mask of cold rage. His presence filled the room so completely that even Vanessa’s lawyers took a step back.
“Get out of my house, Vanessa,” William said quietly.
“I’m here to inspect the living conditions of my sons before the hearing on Monday, William,” Vanessa said smoothly, crossing her arms. “And from what I see, you’ve replaced me with a cheap maid who brings her own illegitimate baggage to work.”
Before William could speak, seven-year-old Mason stepped out from behind me.
He didn't run to his mother. He didn't look at her with affection. He glared at her with pure, fiery fury.
“Don't talk to Maya like that!” Mason shouted, his small fists clenched at his sides. “She’s nicer than you ever were! You left us for three years! You didn't even call on our birthday!”
Vanessa gasped, a momentary flash of shock crossing her face before she quickly masked it with a sweet, fake smile. “Mason, darling, Mommy was sick. That awful man kept me away from you—”
“Liars don't get hugs,” Luke chimed in, stepping up right beside his twin brother, clutching Leo’s hand. “Dad never kept you away. You wanted money. We heard you screaming at Dad in the kitchen before you left.”
The photographer awkwardly lowered his camera. Vanessa’s face twisted into an ugly mask of rage.
“You’ve brainwashed them!” she shrieked, glaring at William. “You’ve set these little monsters against me!”
“They aren't monsters, Vanessa. They are observant,” William said, walking past her to stand directly beside me. He placed a warm, firm hand on the small of my back—a gesture of public, unyielding solidarity that sent a jolt of heat through my entire body. “And Maya isn't just a cleaner. She is a woman who restored life to this family while you were busy squandering your settlement in Monaco.”
Vanessa stared at William’s hand on my back. Her eyes narrowed into slits of pure venom.
“So that’s what this is,” she sneered, looking between William and me. “You’re sleeping with the maid. Perfect. My lawyers are going to love this in court on Monday. A billionaire exposing his traumatized sons to his temporary mistress.”
She turned on her heel, her trench coat swirling around her ankles as she marched toward the door. “See you in court, William. Enjoy your last weekend with my boys.”
The heavy front doors slammed shut behind her.
The room fell dead silent. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
William slowly removed his hand from my back, turning to look at me. “I’m sorry, Maya. I shouldn't have involved you in her venom.”
I looked up at him, seeing the fierce, protective light in his eyes. “You didn't involve me, William. I’m staying right here.”
May you like
Mason and Luke ran forward, throwing their arms around my waist. “Don't let her take us, Maya,” Mason whimpered against my apron.
I dropped to my knees, hugging all three boys—Mason, Luke, and my sweet Leo—tightly in my arms. “Nobody is taking anyone,” I vowed softly, looking up at William. “We’re a team now.”
