“Me? I’m your son’s nanny,” Emily said, startled. “Then show me your teaching degree and your references,” Julia replied. Emily looked down, not knowing how to answer. She was a terrible liar, and Vince had promised no one would question the story.
“That’s what I thought,” Julia said, softening a little. “You don’t have a degree. Do you?” “No,” Emily admitted quietly. “Your husband said he could help save my fiancé from prison. It’s serious, and he made it sound like he was the only one who could fix it.” “That’s closer to the truth,” Julia said bitterly.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but my husband has no intention of saving anyone. He does, however, intend to drag you into serious trouble.” “Why would you say that?” Emily asked, genuinely shocked. “He gave me his word.” “Men like him treat their word as disposable,” Julia said. “Money is the only thing they worship. Tell me honestly—can I trust you to keep this conversation between us?”
“Absolutely,” Emily said, panic rising in her chest. “Last night I overheard them talking in his office. If I understood correctly, you’re supposed to get dirt on a man named Richard. Is that right?” “Yes. Those documents are supposed to help free Sam,” Emily said.
“Take off the rose-colored glasses,” Julia said. “Your man will stay in prison if Vince has his way. My husband has other plans for you. The second you hand over what they want, they’ll put you on a plane to Turkey. And not for sightseeing.” Emily swayed as if she’d been struck.
“That can’t be right. Why would he do that? He promised…” She stopped, remembering the chef’s warning about the value of promises from men like Vince. “What are you going to do?” Julia asked urgently. “Think clearly. And for heaven’s sake, don’t tell Vince I warned you. He’ll destroy me.” “I won’t,” Emily said, pale as paper. “I’ll never forget this.”
The rest of the day passed in a fog. Panic and hopelessness closed in around her. Her illusions had collapsed in an instant. Sam’s so-called friend was worse than an open enemy. At least with an enemy, you know where you stand. A knife in the back from a “brother” is something else entirely.
“Emily, my office. Now,” Vince called from downstairs after returning home. She wanted to claw the smug look off his face. Instead, she forced a calm smile and went down. “Victor tells me you’re ready for your little trip,” Vince said. “Time’s tight. We needed that information yesterday.” “I can leave right away,” Emily said briskly. “But there’s one issue. I’ll need money.”
“That all?” Vince laughed. “Of course expenses are covered.” “You don’t understand,” Emily said coolly. “I need a serious amount. Greg isn’t going to risk his neck for free. If you want him talking, he’ll need a strong financial reason.” “Fair point,” Vince said after a pause. “I’ll give you what you need.”
Early the next morning, Emily quietly hugged Julia goodbye. She knew with certainty she would never set foot in that house again. “Take care of yourself,” Julia whispered. “And be smarter than I was.” “You too,” Emily said sincerely.
At the bus station, Emily sat on a hard bench in the waiting area, her mind racing. One thing was clear: she had to disappear from Vince’s radar immediately. Playing games with criminals was how people ended up dead. But how was she supposed to help Sam? Digging through her purse, she found the wrinkled slip of paper with the chef’s number. Deciding things could hardly get worse, she called.
“Hello, Ms. Sandra? It’s Emily. Do you remember me?” “Of course I do, sweetheart,” the woman said warmly. “I’ve been wondering how you were.” “I need your advice,” Emily said plainly. “It’s urgent.” “Write down my address and come over.” Forty minutes later, Emily sat in Sandra’s cozy kitchen, warming her hands around a mug of herbal tea.
“Well, that’s a mess,” Sandra said after hearing the whole story. “I always knew that man was rotten, but trafficking women? Good grief. You’re lucky you found out in time.” “That’s true,” Emily said. “But what do I do now? I got a lot of money out of him, supposedly to hire a good lawyer for Sam. I just don’t know where to find one.”
“Maybe you already have,” Sandra said with a smile. “My son Ian is an attorney. He’s young, but he’s sharp and stubborn, and he cares about doing the right thing. He can be your link to the jail, and maybe he’ll find a way through this.” “That would be incredible,” Emily said, her face lighting up.
