Chapter 2 - The Housekeeper’s Vow
Before I could leap forward from the rose beds, someone moved faster. Grace Miller, the new housekeeper hired just two weeks prior, stepped smoothly between Vanessa and my daughter. “No.” The slap meant for Sophie struck Grace squarely across the face. The sound cracked through the terrace like a gunshot. Every guest froze. Sophie screamed. Caleb clutched his rabbit and sobbed. Vanessa stared at Grace as if a servant had suddenly become human in front of her. “How dare you?” she hissed, her face contorting with rage. Grace’s cheek was already turning bright red, but she didn't flinch. She stood her ground like a seasoned soldier. “You will not touch those children again.” Vanessa laughed once, a cold, brittle sound. “You have no idea whose house you’re standing in.”
Grace glanced down toward Sophie, a wave of deep tenderness washing over her features. Then she said something that made my blood turn cold. “I know exactly whose house this is. That’s why I’ve been sleeping outside their bedroom door for six nights.” My head snapped up from the dirt. Six nights? The implication hung heavy in the air. Grace hadn't just witnessed cruelty; she had actively mounted a guard because she knew the monsters living inside these walls weren't just outside—they sat at the head of the table. Before Vanessa could formulate a response, Sophie suddenly looked past Grace. Her eyes widened. Her face went pale as sheet paper. “Daddy?” The entire terrace turned in unison.
And as I slowly stood up from the flower beds, pulling off the worn baseball cap and tearing away the fake gray beard, Vanessa’s triumphant expression utterly collapsed. The color drained from her face, leaving her looking like a corpse in a designer dress. The guests muttered in confusion, whispering among themselves as they looked from the dirty gardener to the feared, ruthless underworld figure they only ever read about in financial tabloids. I didn't care about the donors. I didn't care about the cameras or the local politicians. My eyes were locked exclusively on Vanessa. My voice, when it finally broke the silence, didn't need to be loud to make every single person in the courtyard tremble. “Get out of my house,” I whispered.
