CHAPTER 2: THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MASK
The nursery door slowly opened.
Victoria stood there as though nothing unusual had happened.
Her black silk dress was flawless. A crystal wine glass rested casually in her hand. Her lips curved into a smile the moment she saw me.
"Nathan... you're home early."
Then her eyes landed on Emily.
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
She hadn't expected me to find the nanny before she returned.
"What exactly is this?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
Victoria shrugged.
"She's being dramatic."
I looked at Emily's bleeding wrists.
"Does this look dramatic to you?"
Victoria sighed impatiently.
"She became hysterical. She wanted to abandon our children because her sick son called again. I had to restrain her before she hurt the babies."
Emily shook her head violently.
"That's not true..."
Victoria pointed at her.
"See? She's unstable."
Without another word, I pulled out my pocketknife and cut through the bedsheets.
Emily collapsed forward, barely able to hold herself up.
My twins remained asleep against her chest.
The first thing Emily did wasn't check her own injuries.
She checked the babies.
She kissed each tiny forehead before finally breaking down in tears.
I helped her into a chair.
Then I noticed something.
A tiny black camera hidden on top of the nursery bookshelf.
I frowned.
"Victoria..."
She immediately stiffened.
"Why is there a camera in here? We don't own one."
Her face lost all color.
Before she could answer, I removed the memory card.
Victoria suddenly lunged toward me.
"Don't touch that!"
It was the first time I'd ever seen genuine fear in her eyes.
I looked at her.
"Why are you afraid of what's on this card?"
She didn't answer.
That silence told me everything.
I inserted the card into my laptop.
The recording began.
Every second of Emily's story...
was true.
The slaps.
The insults.
The ropes.
Even the moment Victoria whispered,
"Forget your son. He'll die while you rock mine."
The room fell silent.
Victoria slowly lowered her wine glass.
She realized there was no escaping the truth anymore.
But then another video automatically began playing.
One that none of us expected.
Emily gasped.
May you like
"Oh my God..."
My entire world collapsed again.
