Prove your love!

The silence stretched.

Then,

"Thomas. I must say that I find your choice of wife rather…disrespectful to Claire’s memory. So ordinary, clearly beneath your status.”

Piper blinked, feeling the words cut through her self-esteem. She swallowed, bracing herself for more.

Thomas said nothing.

Just then, a pair of little feets skidded down the stairs. “Grandma!” Toby’s voice rang out as he came into view, socked feet stopping just short of disaster.

Mildred’s expression softened—but only for him. She knelt stiffly, opening her arms. “There you are, my darling.”

Toby barreled into her embrace. Leo reached out curiously, fingers grabbing at the pearls around her neck.

Mildred tolerated it. Barely.

“I assume,” she said as she rose, straightening her jacket, “that we can sit. I’d like to understand precisely what kind of… arrangement you’ve subjected my grandsons to.”

The sitting room felt colder once they were seated. Mildred perched on the edge of the sofa like a judge awaiting testimony. Thomas stood for a moment before sitting opposite her. Piper took the chair close to Thomas.

———

Upstairs, behind a half closed guest room door,

Paige sat very still.

'Stay in the room.

It’s better that way.'

Better for who? She wondered.

Her fingers curled into the sheets.

She had heard the arrival.

The voices.

The way the house seemed to rearrange itself around a presence she hadn’t been allowed to meet.

She got up, crossed the room slowly, bare feet sinking into thick carpet, and stopped near the door. She didn’t open it fully.

She listened.

Below her, Thomas was speaking, introducing Piper as wife.

Piper’s quiet voice carried just enough to be heard.

Wife.

Paige’s mouth tightened.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror—perfect hair, perfect skin, a woman accustomed to being seen.

And yet here she was.

Hidden.

Presented with the knowledge that while she waited upstairs, Piper stood downstairs with Thomas’s children, under the sharp eye of a woman who had the ability to confirm or debunk  thier marital status.

Paige’s nails bit into her palm.

she had to do something about this.

———

Downstairs, Mildred’s eyes turned to Thomas one last time

“You’ll forgive me if I find this arrangement… distasteful,” she said. “Replacing my daughter so soon.”

"Mildr—"

“I’m not replacing anyone,” Piper said, cutting Thomas off before she could stop herself.

Both of them looked at her.

The room seemed to close in at her audacity.

“I’m not Claire,” Piper continued, her voice steady even as her heart hammered, telling her she would regret this. “And I don’t pretend to be.”

Mildred studied her anew, taking in more details. Interesting, her gaze seemed to say.

“And yet she's gone, and you're here,” Mildred murmured. “In her house."

Thomas’s voice sharpened. “This is my house.”

Mildred smiled faintly. “Of course. "So—" she continued, folding her hands. “—the blogs are calling you everything from nanny to new Mrs. Anderson.”

Piper’s breath hitched slightly.

“I’m sure you find the ambiguity amusing,” Mildred continued. “I do not.”

Thomas’s voice was clipped. “The children are safe. Happy. That’s what matters.”

“Is it?” Mildred asked coolly. “Because happiness is fragile. And optics are dangerous.”

Her gaze slid back to Piper. “Tell me, my dear—how long do you plan to stay?”

Piper met her eyes. “As long as I’m needed.”

Mildred hummed. “Mm. I see." She chuckled, a humorless cough, taking note of subtle give-aways that proves the marriage was a sham.

" I see no ring on your finger Mrs. Anderson" Piper tucked her hands into her thighs. "For a billionaire's wife, you seem quite temporal." She noted in a calm chilling tone.

Thomas felt his heart jump.

Mildred paused, letting her words settle. Then, "How much is he paying for this?” She bursted out.

Thomas shot up from the sofa. “That’s enough Mildred!" He ordered, throwing a hand to the door. "I believe your business here is finished, Can you please leave?”

Mildred’s eyes flicked to him, cool and knowing. “You’ve always been defensive when cornered.”

She got up, stared him in the eyes.

“Well, I'm here to get proof that you're actually married or is she merely a decorative barrier against the court?"

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a vicious whisper meant only for Thomas.

“I will take these boys from you Thomas. And if she’s here for money, I’ll expose that too.”

Mildred turned to Piper.

“I know you who you are. Now, do you truly love these boys, Ms. McDowell?” she asked coolly. “Or does a million dollars buy devotion these days?”

The words struck deep.

Piper felt the blood rush from her face. That was a direct attack on her heart, not just the contract. She loved Toby and Leo.

“My bond with these children is real, Mrs. Stonebridge,” Piper stated, her voice cracking slightly with genuine emotion.

“Then you both prove it,” Mildred sneered. “Thomas, prove it. Show me how much your wife means to this family.”

Thomas felt the familiar panic spike. What did Mildred want now?

“We are stable, Mildred. We are a family,” Thomas insisted, his voice rigid.

“Then give me a reason, Thomas, to believe this woman is truly your wife, and not just some paid help.” Mildred’s eyes swept over the large living room. “Give your wife a kiss, Thomas. Show me that you love her.” She stared directly into his eyes, daring him, her lips twisting into a self satisfied smirk.

The demand crushed the air from Thomas’s lungs.

His face went white.

"What?"

"You heard me. She's your wife, kiss her."

Thomas stood there, frozen.

“Very well, Thomas. I've seen enough,” Mildred said, her cruel smile widening. “I know all I need to know.” She turned to leave.

Piper looked at the woman about to leave, she looked at the man that needed to save his children. If he refused, Mildred had her proof, the custody case was over.

She moved.

“Thomas!” Piper called out, her voice loud, dramatic, and filled with a raw, desperate emotion that Mildred couldn't ignore.

She stepped forward, instinctively and fast.