CHAPTER 2:THE WOMAN WHO WALKED BACK INTO THE ROOM
The sound of Victoria’s heels grew louder.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Every step moved closer to the nursery.
Emily’s face turned pale.
Not because she was afraid of me.
Because she was afraid of her.
My hands froze around the torn piece of fabric I had just cut from her wrist.
“Ethan…”
Emily whispered.
Her voice was barely audible.
“You need to hide.”
I looked at her like she had lost her mind.
“Hide?”
I glanced at my children.
Then at the woman who had been tied to my bed.
“You think I’m going to hide from my own wife after finding this?”
Emily shook her head desperately.
“You don’t understand.”
Her eyes filled with fear.
“Victoria isn’t just angry.”
“She’s dangerous.”
The door handle moved.
Slowly.
My entire body became still.
A thousand thoughts crashed through my mind at once.
My wife.
The mother of my children.
The woman I had promised to love forever.
Was she really capable of this?
The door opened.
And Victoria stepped inside.
She looked exactly the same as she always did.
Perfect.
Elegant.
Controlled.
Her black dress flowed behind her as she entered the nursery holding her wine glass.
A normal woman entering a normal room.
Except she didn’t know what I had seen.
She didn’t know the truth had already escaped.
Her eyes moved around the room.
Then stopped.
On me.
For one second…
Nothing happened.
No panic.
No shock.
No fear.
Victoria simply smiled.
“Ethan.”
Her voice was calm.
“You’re home.”
I stared at her.
I couldn’t recognize the woman standing in front of me.
“Victoria…”
My voice was low.
“What did you do?”
The smile disappeared.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
A tiny crack in her perfect mask.
“What are you talking about?”
She glanced toward Emily.
Then back at me.
“Oh.”
She laughed softly.
“So this is what she told you?”
Emily immediately tightened her arms around my twins.
Victoria noticed.
And something changed in her eyes.
Not guilt.
Not regret.
Anger.
“You went straight to him, didn’t you?”
Emily lowered her head.
“She needed help.”
Victoria walked closer.
“Funny.”
Her heels clicked against the marble floor.
“You always loved pretending to be the victim.”
I stepped between them.
“Stop.”
My voice was colder than I expected.
Victoria looked at me.
Really looked at me.
And for the first time in our marriage…
She looked uncertain.
“Ethan…”
She whispered.
“You don’t know the whole story.”
I almost laughed.
“The whole story?”
I pointed toward Emily.
“My nanny was tied to our bed.”
“My children were strapped to her body.”
“And you want to tell me there’s another side?”
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“Yes.”
She took a sip of wine.
“There is.”
A silence filled the room.
Then she said something I never expected.
“Emily has been lying to you.”
Emily looked up.
“What?”
Victoria smiled.
“You never told him, did you?”
Emily’s face changed.
And that scared me.
Because for the first time…
Emily looked guilty.
I turned toward her.
“Tell me.”
No answer.
“Emily.”
Her lips trembled.
“I…”
Victoria stepped closer.
“Tell him.”
Her voice was almost satisfied.
“Tell him why you really came into this house.”
My heart sank.
“Emily?”
The nanny who had protected my children looked down.
And whispered:
“Because I knew your wife before I ever worked for you.”
The room went silent.
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“What?”
Emily looked at me.
“I didn’t tell you because I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
She swallowed.
“Of what Victoria would do.”
Victoria smiled.
“Now we’re finally telling the truth.”
I stared between them.
My entire world felt like it was collapsing.
“Explain.”
Emily looked at my twins.
Then back at me.
“Six months ago…”
Her voice shook.
“I found something about Victoria.”
“What?”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears.
“She wasn’t just planning to hurt me.”
“She was planning to take your children away from you.”
My blood turned cold.
Victoria’s face remained calm.
Too calm.
And that was when I knew…
May you like
Whatever happened next…
Was going to destroy everything I believed about my family.
