Chapter 4

The drug-induced fog was thick, but the rage burning inside me was a furnace. I fought to stay awake, to think clearly. I splashed cold water on my face, paced my study. The image of Maria's smiling face as she handed me that tainted milk, Kevin's casual betrayal, Emily's fear – it fueled me.

By dawn, the worst of the drug's effects had worn off, leaving a dull headache and a steely resolve.

Emily woke up, another wet bed. Maria's reaction was a sigh of theatrical impatience, muttering in Spanish about "spoiled children making more work."

I watched Maria, my expression unreadable. She moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast, humming softly, the picture of domestic bliss. The hypocrisy was nauseating.

After she'd taken Emily to get dressed, I confronted her.

"Maria," I said, my voice low and cold. "Tell me about your grandson, Leo."

She turned, a slight tremor in her smile. "Leo? Oh, he's a sweet boy, Ms. Miller. My daughter Isabella's son."

"Isabella. She must be doing very well for herself. That robot cake, the designer clothes for Leo. Bright Start Academy isn't cheap."

Maria puffed up slightly. "Oh, yes. Isabella married very well. A wealthy man. An oil executive from Texas. He spoils Leo rotten."

A wealthy oil executive. Another lie, probably as flimsy as the one about showing off.

"I see," I said.

I needed to get Emily out of this house. Away from her.

"I'm taking Emily out today," I announced. "We're going to that new indoor theme park, Galaxy Adventure. A mother-daughter day."

Maria's eyes flickered. "Oh? But... Mr. Johnson said he might take Emily to the park later."

"Kevin can join us if he likes," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Get Emily ready, please. Her star-explorer t-shirt."

As Maria left the room, I pulled out my phone. My first call was to my lawyer, a shark named Helen Remis, known for her discretion and ruthlessness.

"Helen, it's Sarah Miller. I need you. Child endangerment. Felony theft. Possibly more. I have video evidence. I want her arrested. Today."

I laid out the basics, my voice tight with controlled fury.

Helen listened, her occasional "I see" the only interruption.

"I'll contact the authorities immediately, Sarah," Helen said, her voice all business. "Where is the nanny now?"

"Here. At my house. But we're leaving soon."

"Good. Keep your daughter close. I'll handle the rest. The police will likely want to interview you and Emily, but we can arrange for a child advocate to be present for Emily."

My next call was to the lead security officer at Innovatech, a former FBI agent. "Mark, I need a sweep. My home. ASAP. Looking for bugs, anything out of place. And I need personal protection for myself and my daughter, starting immediately. Discreet."

This wasn't just about a thieving nanny anymore. This was about a conspiracy that involved my husband. I didn't know how deep it went.

I looked at Emily, who was now dressed, her eyes still holding that shadow of fear.

I knelt before her. "Sweetheart, Mommy is going to make everything okay. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise."

The words were a vow. A declaration of war.

Maria Rodriguez was going down. And if Kevin was involved, he'd go down with her.

I wouldn't rest until they paid for what they'd done to my daughter. To my family. To me.

The life I had meticulously built was crumbling, but in its place, a new, harder Sarah Miller was emerging.

And she was ready to fight.