Chapter 4

“Who are you?”

Nolan hurriedly walked forward to make introductions.

“I forgot to tell you, Rosa. The nanny was awful, so I fired her. Mrs. Volescu was also responsible for that incident, so she's gone as well. This is Angela Harper. She’s a really good nanny. She can take care of the kids and help you with the household chores.”

When she heard about the chores, Angela clenched her teeth minutely.

I scoffed to myself.

In the previous timeline, Lucy kept having allergic reactions. Thus, Nolan fired Mrs. Volescu, who had been working for me for five years. He had brought in his mistress as a staff member this way as well.

But Angela was not the kind of person who could handle working for her rival in love as a servant.

She had poisoned my food.

Before I nearly died and went back in time, she had even stomped on my face. With hatred in her expression, she said, “I was with Nolan first, so why did I have to hide in the shadows while you lived it up in luxury and showed off your love? I even had to work for you and suffer being bossed around!”

Her face had shifted from viciousness to joyous excitement.

“But once you die, Nolan will marry me. Your villa, your luxury car, your millions in assets, those will all be mine!”

Angela’s arrogant expression from the previous timeline overlapped on her face before me, and I felt myself go cold.

“Wow, you really would bring any piece of trash in here.”

“Madam, I—”

“Get out.”

The tension in the air was palpable. Angela’s face turned livid. In the end, tears gathered in her eyes pitifully.

“Sir, I think the madam isn’t very happy with me. Could you try talking to her?”

Nolan immediately tried to play mediator. He sounded a little displeased as he said, “Rosa, how could you talk to Angela like that? She’s a qualified nanny. How would you know how she would do without trying her out? I’ve already signed a contract with her.”

“Do you think you have the power to say anything here, Nolan?”

My expression was thunderous. I aimed a glare at him and enunciated, “How dare you fire my staff? Have you forgotten who’s in charge of things in this family? It’s me. You married into my family, not the other way. Remember that.”

Nolan’s always cheery expression cracked. I could see a vein pulse at his temple.

After a moment, Nolan forced himself to smile. He turned to Angela and said apologetically, “I’m very sorry. I think you need to leave.”

Angela’s face was red as she stomped off in her high heels.

Nolan looked at me with forced pleasantry and said, “I’m sorry, Rosa. I didn’t think this through. I’ll rehire Mrs. Volescu. I need to handle some matters at the office. I’m going over there for a while.”

The sound of the car’s engine faded into the distance.

I settled into the couch while holding Lucy and used my phone to access the camera in the car.

A quarter of a mile from the villa, the car stopped. Angela entered the car, slamming the door closed in a mad huff. Then, she threw herself into Nolan’s arms.

Tears started to flow from her eyes the second she started talking.

“I’m done sneaking around and hiding! Nolan, look at how that awful woman insulted us. We should just kill her!”

Nolan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. His expression was dark.

“Just bear with it for a bit longer.”

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, I could see the violence clearly in them.

“Once I get my hands on the company and the shares, I’ll break her kneecaps myself. Let’s see if she’ll be so haughty then!”

Once the two finished their scheming, they started nuzzling close to each other and kissing.

The noises they made were disgusting.

They were in my new car, which I had only bought three months ago.

Disgust roiled in my tummy, but I forced it down. I saved the video and sent it to my lawyer.

Right then, Sam video called me. He sounded excited as he said, “Madam Bradley, we found Alex! But he’s not in a very good state. He’s badly hurt.”

I shot up from the couch. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I stared at the screen.

“How dare she hit my son!”

In the darkened room, my once active son was huddled in a corner. He wore a badly fitting T-shirt that failed to cover the patch of bruises on his skinny arm.

Nolan’s mother was pinned to the floor as she cursed.

“I’m only disciplining my grandson. Can’t I even do that? I’ll make my son kill you!”

I gave an order to one of my men with an icy expression on my face. My voice was steely as I said, “Hit her ten times harder than how she hit my son.”

Agonized cries rang out.

I stood by the window and watched the sun set. As I did, I made an anonymous call.

“I heard that you wanted a boy? I have one here. All the papers are in order and perfectly legal. You just need to sign. Come here and collect him at 8 p.m. tonight. Be on time.”