Chapter 2 - THE FOURTH NURSE

Three months earlier.

Adeline Marsh was sitting at a small kitchen table inside her apartment.

The table had scratches everywhere.

One corner was held together with tape.

But it was the place where she planned her entire life.

Bills.

Medical documents.

Work schedules.

Everything.

She looked down at two papers.

One was another rejection letter.

The other was her little brother’s hospital appointment.

Wes was seven years old.

And he needed surgery.

Soon.

“Are you doing the scary face again?”

Adeline looked up.

Her little brother stood in the doorway holding a paper airplane.

“What scary face?”

“The one where you look at papers and forget I’m here.”

She smiled.

“Sorry.”

Wes walked over and climbed onto the chair beside her.

“You’re worried.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

She laughed.

“You’re seven. How do you know that?”

“Because adults say they’re fine when they’re not.”

Adeline stared at him.

Sometimes children noticed things adults tried to hide.

Wes placed the paper airplane on the table.

“Are we going to the hospital again?”

She swallowed.

“Maybe.”

“Does maybe mean yes?”

She looked away.

“Yes.”

The silence hurt.

Then her phone rang.

Unknown number.

She almost ignored it.

But something made her answer.

“Ms. Marsh?”

“Yes?”

“My name is Daniel Carter. I represent a private medical placement agency.”

Adeline sat up.

“A job?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“A live-in nursing position.”

She listened carefully.

“The patient is thirty-four years old. Male. Recovering from a spinal injury.”

“How much does it pay?”

When he told her, she thought she heard wrong.

“That’s impossible.”

“It is a private family.”

“What family?”

A pause.

“The Alfieri family.”

Adeline immediately became still.

She knew that name.

Everyone in Chicago knew that name.

Not because they appeared on television.

Because people whispered about them.

“The position comes with medical coverage for dependents.”

Her eyes moved toward Wes.

“What’s the catch?”

“There is no catch.”

She almost laughed.

There was always a catch.

“Why did the previous nurse leave?”

Silence.

Then:

“The household has had difficulty retaining staff.”

“How many nurses?”

“Three.”

“In how long?”

“Four months.”

Adeline looked around her apartment.

At the unpaid bills.

At her brother.

At the hospital papers.

She knew it was risky.

But sometimes life did not give people safe choices.

It gave them necessary ones.

“When do I start?”

The Alfieri mansion was larger than any place Adeline had ever entered.

The gates alone looked expensive.

The driveway seemed endless.

When she stepped inside, she expected luxury.

What she felt instead was tension.

Like everyone was waiting for something bad to happen.

An older woman approached her.

“Adeline Marsh?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Edna. Housekeeper.”

Edna looked tired.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

“You’ll learn the rules.”

Adeline looked around.

“Are they written down?”

Edna gave a small smile.

“No.”

That answer bothered her.

Then Edna said something even stranger.

“Most people who come here think money solves everything.”

She paused.

“It doesn’t.”

Before Adeline could ask what she meant—

“Mr. Alfieri will see you now.”

The library doors opened.

And Adeline met Nico for the first time.

He was sitting beside the window.

Silent.

Watching her.

Evaluating her.

“You’re the fourth nurse.”

Adeline nodded.

“So I heard.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“You’re not nervous?”

“Should I be?”

Most people would have apologized.

Most people would have tried to impress him.

Adeline simply stood there.

Waiting.

Finally, Nico said:

“Everyone leaves.”

Adeline answered:

“Then maybe everyone was looking at the wrong problem.”

For the first time…

Nico looked interested.

But neither of them knew yet—

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