The first time my twin daughters laughed after their mother died was at two o'clock in the morning—the exact moment I marched down the hallway determined to fire their new nanny. I was certain she had failed my family. Instead, I opened the nursery door and found the one miracle I had spent months trying to buy with money, doctors, and endless sleepless nights. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.

The threat hung over the mansion like a storm cloud. Daniel immediately instructed his legal team to prepare for a war, but the emotional strain was taking its toll. He spent sleepless nights reviewing legal precedents, while Elise redoubled her efforts to shield the twins from the rising storm.

However, Julian Vance had no intention of playing fair in a court of law.

Three days after the confrontation, Elise was carrying a bag of fresh baby laundry toward the nursery when a figure stepped out from the secondary corridor near the servant entrance.

It was Julian.

Elise startled, stepping back. "Mr. Vance. You shouldn't be in this wing of the house."

Julian smiled smoothly, adjusting his silk tie. "Relax, Miss Navarro. I’m just taking a stroll. I wanted to have a private word with you."

"I have work to do," Elise said, trying to push past him, but Julian blocked her path.

"Two hundred thousand dollars," Julian said directly.

Elise stopped, frowning. "What?"

"Two hundred thousand dollars in an offshore account," Julian repeated, stepping closer. "All you have to do is sign an affidavit stating that Daniel Carter is emotionally unstable, verbally abusive, and neglectful toward his children. Tell the court he leaves them crying for hours while he drinks alone in his office."

Elise felt a wave of disgust rush through her. "You are sick."

"Think carefully, Elise," Julian said, his voice dropping to a threatening purr. "You’re a girl from a working-class background with a very fragile resume. Did you really think I wouldn't look into your past?"

Elise’s breath hitched. Her knuckles turned white around the laundry basket.

"Six years ago," Julian continued, tapping his chin mockingly. "Your younger brother got sick while under your care. You were just eighteen, running around working two jobs to support your family. You left him alone for an hour, and he wound up in the ICU. A tragic accident, of course... but child protective services opened an investigation, didn't they?"

"It was an allergic reaction to a prescription medication the doctor mislabelled," Elise said, her voice shaking violently as tears stung her eyes. "I didn't abandon him!"

"The court records were sealed, but my investigators are very thorough," Julian sneered. "If I leak that story to the press alongside pictures of Daniel's dark mansion, the judge will hand those twins to my mother in a heartbeat. And you? You’ll never work with children again. Sign the paper, take the money, and walk away."

Elise looked at Julian, the horror of his proposal settling deep into her soul. Her heart pounded in her ears, her past trauma clawing at her mind. But then she pictured Maisie’s bright smile when she clapped her hands, and Rosie’s peaceful face when she fell asleep on her chest.

She looked Julian straight in the eyes.