The Nanny Said, "Check Your Security Cameras"

CHAPTER 1 - THE ACCUSATION ON THE STEPS

"Emily! Please don't leave us!"

The cry hit harder than the cold evening air.

Emily had already reached the bottom of the stone steps when one little body slammed into her waist from behind. The other boy grabbed the strap of her old canvas bag so hard it twisted against her shoulder.

She stumbled, then turned and dropped to her knees.

"Hey, hey," she whispered, breath shaking. "You'll hurt yourselves."

But both boys were already scraped up. One had a red mark across his cheek. The other had a bruise forming near his chin. Seeing those fresh injuries made her stomach tighten again.

She didn't want to look back at the house.

The black SUV waited at the curb, engine humming. It was supposed to take her away quietly. No scene. No more trouble. That had been the plan.

Then Grant Whitaker came down from the porch in his dark suit, his face hard with confusion and anger. Behind him, in the doorway's shadow, stood Sabrina, blond and elegant, arms crossed as if this were all beneath her.

Grant reached toward the boys, then stopped.

"What is going on?"

Sabrina answered before Emily could open her mouth.

"She was stealing from us."

The words landed like a slap.

Emily felt both boys clutch her tighter. Six years old, and already they knew what it meant when adults lied with confidence.

"No!" Theo cried, his voice raw. "Emily kept us safe!"

Emily's head snapped up. She pulled both boys behind her without thinking.

Grant's expression shifted. Anger gave way to something sharper. He crouched down, eyes moving from Theo to Noah, then to the faint scrape near Emily's temple.

"Safe... from who?" he asked quietly.

Sabrina's posture changed almost too fast to catch. Her hand tightened around the fabric of her dress.

Emily swallowed. Her fear had lived in her chest for weeks, silent and heavy. But now the boys were shaking behind her.

So she looked Grant straight in the eye.

"Check your security cameras."

One of the boys tugged at his father's sleeve.

"Dad," Noah whispered, "there's more."

And Sabrina went pale.