Chapter 246

ANNA'S POV

I stood at the stove, slowly stirring a pot of chicken noodle soup. The warm steam rushed up into my face, but it couldn't thaw the freezing coldness in my chest.

My hands, still tightly wrapped in white medical bandages, ached with every movement—a constant, painful reminder of the price I had paid to play this role.

But the pain didn't matter. The bandage was my perfect armor. To Aria, it made me a loyal martyr who had taken a bullet for her child. To Brandon, it made me an innocent civilian caught in his bloody crossfire.

They called me Sarah. They had no idea my real name was Anna.

The house was dead silent, save for the faint, muffled sound of Aria’s quiet sobs echoing from the master bedroom down the hall.

A dark, twisted smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Brandon was gone. The grand, terrifying Mafia King had been brought to his knees and thrown out onto the gravel driveway by the very woman he loved, all because of a single manila envelope.

Leonie’s plan had worked beautifully. Hearing a soft sound behind me, I wiped the smirk off my face and turned around, instantly putting on my sweet, concerned expression.

Amelia stood in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes red and puffy, clutching her favorite stuffed bear tight against her chest. "Is the soup ready, Sarah?" she whispered, her voice tiny and raw.

"Almost done, sweetheart," I said softly, keeping my voice gentle, the perfect nanny. I walked over and knelt down in front of her, carefully placing my bandaged hands on her small shoulders.

"Your mum is just very sad right now, Amelia. She didn't mean to yell at you. Why don't you take this bowl up to your room, and I'll come read you a story in a little bit?"

Amelia nodded sniffles, taking the plastic bowl from my hands. "Okay. Thank you, Sarah." I watched her little feet pad up the grand staircase until her bedroom door clicked shut.

The moment she was out of sight, my gentle expression vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating emptiness. I checked the hallway. Aria was still locked away in her bedroom, drowning in her own heartbreak.

The guards Anthony had stationed outside were watching the perimeter, their eyes fixed on the dark lawns, completely oblivious to the viper already inside the nest.

I slipped into the guest bathroom near the pantry, locking the door quietly behind me. Pulling a small, encrypted burner phone from the lining of my uniform, I dialed a number I knew by heart.

It only rang once before a sharp, wealthy voice answered. "Report," Leonie commanded.

"The bomb went off exactly like you wanted," I whispered into the receiver, my eyes locked on the bathroom door, listening for any footsteps. "Julian delivered the file. Aria found out everything about Brandon's past and his dead wife. She slapped him and kicked him out of the estate."

Across the line, Leonie let out a low, satisfied laugh that sent a chill down my spine. "Perfect. The great Brandon Vance, brought to ruin by a few old police reports. Is he completely gone?"

"He left," I confirmed. "But he left his security team behind. The house is completely surrounded by his tactical guards. Anthony is on his way back right now to take charge of the perimeter. Getting Amelia out of here safely isn't going to be easy with them crawling all over the property."

Leonie’s voice turned instantly into ice, the calm amusement vanishing. "Let Brandon play his little guard games. He thinks he's protecting them from the outside, but he has no idea I already own the inside. Keep playing the grieving nanny, Anna. Keep Aria distracted and keep Amelia close. When Julian fails to bring them to me willingly, we will move to the final phase. I want that child, and I want Aria destroyed."

"Understood," I whispered.

"Don't fail me," Leonie warned coldly, and the line went dead. I slid the burner phone back into its hiding spot, smoothing down my apron.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, adjusting my hair until I looked like the sweet, compliant Sarah again. Brandon could place a hundred men outside these gates, but it wouldn't save them.

The real danger was already upstairs, tucking his daughter into bed.

I walked back into the kitchen, ladling a second bowl of the steaming chicken noodle soup. Balancing the tray carefully with my bandaged hands, I carried it up the stairs, my steps entirely silent.

When I reached the master bedroom, I gave the heavy wood door a soft, hesitant knock. "Miss Aria?" I called out, keeping my voice laced with gentle concern. "I brought you some soup. You need to eat something."

A long pause followed before the lock clicked, and the door swung open. Aria stood there, looking completely hollowed out. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was disheveled, and the raw heartbreak rolling off her was almost tangible.

"Thank you, Sarah," she whispered, her voice cracked and breathless as she stepped aside to let me in. "You really didn't have to." I walked over and placed the tray down on her nightstand, turning back to look at her with a warm, comforting smile.

"I know things are incredibly heavy right now," I said softly, layering my voice with deep empathy.

"And I know you're worried about how Amelia reacted downstairs. But please don't hold it against her, Miss Aria. Amelia is just going through a phase. She’s at that age where everything feels so big, and she’s just confused. She’ll be alright. She just needs a little time to process everything, just like you."

Aria looked up at me, a tear slipping down her cheek, completely buying the act. "I just feel like I've ruined everything, Sarah. She looked at me with so much anger."

"She loves you, Miss Aria. This phase will pass, I promise," I murmured, patting her arm gently with my wrapped hand. "Now, please, try to rest."

"Thank you, Sarah. I don't know what I'd do without you here," Aria whispered, her voice thick with gratitude.

"You never have to worry about that. I’m right here," I replied sweetly. I gave her one last reassuring nod before turning around and exiting the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me.

The moment my back was to the wood, the warmth vanished from my eyes. Aria truly had no idea what she would do without me—and she had absolutely no idea what I was about to do to her.

Brandon could place a hundred men outside these gates, but it wouldn't save them. The real danger was already upstairs, tucked deep inside the nest.