She wanted desperately to believe him. Sam had spoken of Vince like a brother. But her instincts kept warning her that beneath the helpful act was a calculating predator. Vince’s house felt tense from the start. His wife, Julia, watched the new “nanny” with open hostility, clearly assuming her husband had brought home another mistress.
Vince arrived with Emily early the next morning, put her in a lavish guest room, and announced to the household that he had hired an elite governess. Julia swallowed her anger in silence. Arguing with her husband was dangerous. “Good morning,” Vince said cheerfully, walking into Emily’s room without knocking. “Sleep okay? If you need anything, come straight to me.”
“Everything’s fine, thank you.” “Vince, tell me honestly—how is Sam? Can I send him decent food and warm clothes?” she asked. “Forget all that,” Vince said with a laugh. “My people took care of him. He’s doing just fine. Victor will be here today. Listen carefully to what he says. Sam’s future depends on it. Got it?”
“I’ll do whatever’s needed,” Emily said firmly. More than anything, she wanted the absurd charges against Sam dropped. Without him, the world felt colorless. “But what exactly am I supposed to do as a nanny?” she asked. “Your wife looks at me like she’d like to throw me out, and your son is openly rude.”
“I’m sick of her dramatics,” Vince snapped. “But I’m not telling her the truth. She talks too much. Law enforcement is already leaning on me, trying to tie me to Sam’s escape. So keep your head down and stay out of sight. This will be over soon.”
Emily stayed in her room until evening, when Victor finally arrived. “Hello,” he said. “I spent half the night figuring out how to get leverage on your husband.” “Please don’t call him that,” Emily said with a grimace. “That marriage was a disaster, and I hope he’s already filed for an annulment. What do you need from me?”
“As I understand it, you worked at his company for a couple of years?” “Two years, yes.” “Then you probably still know people there. Friends, coworkers?” “A few. The office was close-knit.” “Good. We need a very specific piece of confidential information. Not something just anyone can access. You’ll need to get someone high up talking. Can you do that?”
“Is that all? And this will somehow help Sam?” Emily asked skeptically. “Absolutely. We need to hit Richard where it hurts, or he won’t negotiate,” Victor said vaguely. “I’ll do what I can. I was on good terms with his deputy, Greg. He knows all the backroom details.”
“What exactly do you need?” “In a couple of weeks, his company is moving a very valuable shipment. I need to know the end buyer, the exact route, the drivers’ names, what’s listed on the paperwork, and copies of the permits.” “Understood,” Emily said. “I’ll get it.”
“You need to bring us those documents, no matter what. It’s Sam’s only ticket out.” Victor left, and Emily sat there in a cold sweat. She would have to return to the town she hated with every fiber of her being. She would have to avoid being seen by the man she had fled. And there was no guarantee Greg would betray his boss. It was a gamble.
Meanwhile, Julia paced downstairs, half-crazed by the thought that her husband had installed another young woman under her own roof. She felt humiliated. She had stood by Vince for years, even when he was serving time. She had scraped by on almost nothing, cut corners on food for their son, and still brought him money and supplies.
When he got out early, he returned with money and turned into a tyrant. Julia had no idea where the money came from and was too afraid to ask. Whenever she tried, Vince answered with threats. Once, when she mentioned divorce, he calmly told her he could drive her into the woods and make sure no one ever found her.
Passing his office that evening, Julia heard voices and paused outside the door. “Perfect,” Vince was saying. “I knew she’d bend over backward for that jailbird. But what then? She brings us the route, and then starts making demands about her boyfriend. What if she runs to Richard? We don’t need that headache.” Victor sounded doubtful.
“She won’t run anywhere,” Vince said with a dark laugh. “The girl’s young and beautiful. We’ll ship her to Turkey. I’ve got contacts there in some very exclusive places. Can you arrange the flight? Logistics is your specialty.” Victor chuckled. “No problem. Men will pay a fortune for one like that.”
Julia recoiled in horror. At last she understood: the new “nanny” was not a mistress at all, but a naïve victim in a criminal scheme. She felt an immediate stab of pity for the girl. All night she lay awake, thinking about what she had heard. She wanted to go straight to Emily’s room and warn her, but fear kept her still.
If Emily confronted Vince, he would quickly figure out who had talked, and then Julia would be finished. She didn’t get up until noon the next day. Hearing her son laughing outside, she looked out the window and saw Emily pushing him on the swing. Both of them looked genuinely happy. Remembering her husband’s plans, Julia threw on a cardigan and went outside.
“Mom, Emily’s great,” her son said happily. “We did homework, and now we’re outside.” “I’m glad to hear it,” Julia said tightly. “Go inside, sweetheart. I need to talk to Emily alone.” Once the boy was gone, she stepped closer. “Who are you really?” she asked bluntly.
