Clara returned to the Mercer house six days later.

Not as an employee.

Not permanently.

Olivia asked her to come.

Emma had stopped sleeping through the night.

Every unfamiliar noise made her cry.

Adrian had hired a temporary caregiver through a trusted agency.

Emma refused to let the woman hold her.

The moment Clara entered the nursery, Emma reached both arms toward her.

“Cla.”

It was not quite Clara.

But it was close.

Clara’s eyes filled.

She carefully lifted Emma with her good arm.

The baby buried her face against Clara’s neck.

Adrian stood near the door.

He did not interrupt.

Olivia smiled for the first time in days.

“She missed you.”

Clara kissed Emma’s hair.

“I missed her too.”

Adrian cleared his throat.

“I can leave.”

Clara looked at him.

“You live here.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable.”

“I’m already uncomfortable.”

He nodded.

“Fair.”

Clara almost smiled.

Almost.

Later, Adrian found her in the kitchen.

She was making tea.

“You shouldn’t be lifting things.”

“It’s a kettle.”

“You have a fractured collarbone.”

“I noticed.”

Adrian leaned against the counter.

“I won’t ask you to come back to work.”

Clara looked surprised.

“I thought that was what this conversation was.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you shouldn’t have to decide anything while you’re hurt.”

He paused.

“And because what happened between us can’t be fixed with a salary.”

Clara studied him.

Adrian continued.

“I covered your hospital bills.”

Her expression hardened.

“You said—”

“Through my homeowner’s insurance.”

He raised a hand.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“You were injured saving Emma inside my house.”

“The bills are covered because they should be.”

Clara relaxed slightly.

“Thank you.”

He nodded.

“There’s something else.”

“What?”

“I reported myself.”

She frowned.

“To whom?”

“The agency that employs domestic staff through Mercer Family Services.”

Clara stared.

“For hitting you.”

“Why?”

“Because if one of my executives struck an employee, I would expect an investigation.”

“You own the company.”

“That shouldn’t make me exempt.”

Clara said nothing.

“I’m taking an anger-management course.”

“You aren’t an angry person.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It happened once.”

“It only needed to happen once.”

Clara looked into her tea.

Adrian continued.

“I’m not telling you this so you’ll forgive me.”

“I’m telling you because saying sorry without changing anything is useless.”

For the first time, Clara looked directly at him without fear.

“That sounds like something Rachel would say.”

Adrian’s expression shifted.

“She said it often.”

Clara smiled sadly.

“She usually said it about you.”

“I deserved that too.”

A brief silence passed.

Then Clara set down the cup.

“There’s something I never told you about Rachel.”

Adrian’s body tensed.

“What?”

“The week before she died, she asked me to promise something.”

“What?”

“That if anything ever happened to her, I would watch Olivia.”

Adrian nodded.

“That sounds like Rachel.”

“She said more.”

Clara looked troubled.

“She told me not to trust someone just because they were family.”

Adrian froze.

“Those exact words?”

“Yes.”

“Did she say who?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“She was exhausted.”

“She had a newborn.”

“I thought she was talking about ordinary family arguments.”

Clara looked at him.

“But now…”

Adrian completed the sentence.

“Now it sounds different.”

She nodded.

Then Olivia entered carrying an old cardboard box.

“You both need to see this.”

Adrian looked at her.

“What is it?”

“Mom’s things.”

She placed the box on the table.

“I found something hidden in her journal.”

Inside was a small brass key.

Attached to it was a handwritten label.

MERCER SAFE DEPOSIT - 214.

Adrian stared.

He had never heard of Box 214.

But Rachel clearly had.

And she had hidden the key where only Olivia was likely to find it.