Chapter 1

EZRA

The phone rang loud, ringing through the quiet space of my apartment and I almost didn’t answer.

I sat at my small kitchen table, a cup of coffee cooling beside me, my laptop open to the same job listings I’d been scrolling through for weeks. The nanny position was still there. Mocking me. A high-paying job for a private, wealthy family was too good to be true.

I had applied on a whim, half as a joke because there was no way in hell they’d pick me.

But now my phone was ringing.

Unknown number.

My fingers hovered over the screen before I pressed accept. “Hello?”

“Is this Ezra Kade?”

The voice was smooth. Professional. Female.

I straightened instinctively. “Yes.”

A pause. Then—“You’ve been selected for the live-in nanny position. We expect you by tomorrow evening.”

I blinked. Wait, what?

No interview? No background check? I had no real experience with kids, just the bare minimum listed on my resume to make me seem somewhat qualified.

“This isn’t a mistake, is it?” I asked carefully, pressing the phone closer to my ear.

“No mistake,” the woman said smoothly. “Your qualifications were… exactly what we were looking for.”

Something about the way she said it made my stomach tighten but I quickly brushed it off.

“I—” My mind scrambled for a reason to decline, but then I thought about the salary. That much money would change my life. Rent, loans, all of it would be gone. Just a few months, and I could start over.

“Is there a problem?”

I forced a swallow and shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “No. Just surprised, that’s all.”

Another pause, then—“You’ll receive a message and instructions shortly. Be on time.”

The line went dead and I stared at my phone unblinking

What the hell just happened?

——

The moment I received the address, my chest tightened.

Sender: Unknown

Address:

Time: 6:00 PM. Be punctual. A car will come pick you up.

The estate was way out in the countryside, far from the city, isolated in a way that made my skin prickle. I told myself it made sense; a rich family probably wanted privacy but there was something different about it.

I forced myself to shake it off. This was fine. Normal even.

I packed quickly, stuffing clothes into my bag and shoving down any doubt before it could take root. This was an opportunity. A damn good one.

By the time the driver arrived, I was standing outside, my suitcase in hand and my heart hammering against my ribs.

The car was sleek, expensive, and too silent except for the low hum of the engine.

The driver didn’t speak, didn’t even glance at me beyond the initial nod when I climbed in. The whole ride was smooth, the city fading behind us as we entered long, empty roads surrounded by nothing but towering trees.

I kept my hands in my lap, resisting the urge to fidget.

It wasn’t weird, exactly. Just… different.

Most wealthy families had security, and this level of privacy was probably normal for them. I wasn’t about to start overthinking things.

Instead, I focused on the positives. The money. The chance to live in a mansion. The fresh start.

The drive went longer than expected, the sun beginning to set, the sky rumbling with thunder and droplets of rain falling by the time the estate came into view.

I leaned forward slightly, eyes widening as we passed through massive iron gates and rolled up the longest driveway I’d ever seen. The mansion stood at the end, towering, elegant, and intimidating all at once. The architecture had a different beauty to it, like something pulled from an old novel, untouched by time.

The car came to a stop and I took in a sharp breath and clenched my bag to my chest.

The driver stepped out first, opening my door. I muttered a quick thank you and climbed out, adjusting the strap of my bag as I turned to face the building.

I climed up the stone steps and the doors opened before I could knock.

A woman stood there, watching me.

She was beautiful, too perfect, with a poised expression and a tight sharpness in her gaze that made my stomach tense before she smiled.

“You must be Ezra,” she said, stepping aside. “Come in.”

I nodded, returning the smile as I stepped past her, crossing the threshold and the moment I did, the air inside felt heavier, richer.

Fuck. The good money kind.

But it was too damn silent in this big house, making my footsteps sound louder than they should have.

I forced myself to relax. This was fine. Normal.

“I apologize for the others not being here,” she said smoothly, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears. “It’s just me for now.”

“That’s fine,” I said quickly—too quickly as I tried to hide my nervousness. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”

She smiled again, then gestured down the hall. “Let me show you around.”

———

The mansion was huge.

Everywhere I turned, there were massive windows, chandeliers hanging from impossibly high ceilings, antique furniture that looked untouched. It felt less like a home and more like a museum, beautiful but strangely lifeless.

As we moved through the halls, the woman—who still hadn’t told me her name—explained things in a calm, measured voice.

“The staff only come on weekends,” she said, leading me past a darkened dining hall. “During the week, it will just be us and you. And most of the time, it would just be you and the child.”

I nodded, trying not to focus on how wrong that sounded. No staff? In a house this big?

I reminded myself again, rich people are just different.

She stopped in front of a door, pushing it open. “This will be your room.”

I stepped inside.

It was… nice. Spacious. The bed was huge, the furniture dark and elegant, fitting the rest of the mansion’s aesthetic. It even had an en-suite bathroom.

“You’ll be comfortable here,” she said. “If you need anything, let me know.”

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it as I turned to face her. I wasn’t about to complain. This was more than I’d ever had before.

She stayed for a moment before speaking again. “Would you like to meet the child now?”

I blinked, straightening. “Oh-uh, yeah, of course.”

She smiled, but something about it, the way she looked at me when she said it made my stomach tighten.

She turned and walked down the hall, leading me toward a room at the end. When we stopped in front of the door, she didn’t knock.

She simply called out, “Come here, Kieran.”

Silence.

Then, after a long pause, movement.

I barely caught a glimpse of him at first.

Just a sliver of pale skin and messy blonde hair peeking from behind the doorframe. He wasn’t even looking at me, just watching.

I felt my heart stutter slightly, but I pushed a smile onto my face, trying to seem gentle and approachable.

“Hey there,” I said softly, crouching a little and tilting my head to the side. “It’s okay, you can come out. I don’t bite.”

Another pause.

Then, he moved.

But he didn’t step forward.

He crawled.

On hands and knees, slow and carefully, until he was looking up at me with bright, ice-blue eyes.

“Hello,” he whispered, voice soft and almost innocent.

I went completely still.

A cold shiver ran up my spine, my stomach twisting as my body locked up. I knew I should say something, but the words stuck in my throat.

His head tilted, those piercing eyes watching me closely.

I barely noticed myself taking steps back until his expression changed. His shoulders tensed. His fingers curled slightly against the floor.

Then, suddenly, he pushed himself away, retreating fast, vanishing behind the door again.

Shit. What the fuck just happened?

I opened my mouth, scrambling to fix it, to say anything, but then—

A soft laugh came from beside me and I turned quickly, my gaze snapping to the woman. She was watching me, but the smile on her lips wasn’t for me. It was for him.

Like she found the whole thing funny.

Like she found it funny to see a grown man crawl on the floor like that.

She tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming with amusement. “That,” she said smoothly, drawing out the words like she was savoring them, “is my brother. The child you’ll be taking care of.”