Chapter 261

ANNA'S POV

The heavy sound of the front door closing downstairs echoed through the quiet house.

I stood frozen in the dark of my room for three long minutes, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird, waiting to be completely certain Brandon had left.

Once I heard the faint roar of his SUV engine fading down the driveway, I let out a jagged breath and snatched my phone off the bed. I hit redial with a trembling thumb.

Leonie answered on the first ring. "What the hell happened?" she hissed, her voice laced with sharp panic.

"That was a close call," I whispered hurriedly, my eyes darting toward my bedroom door. "But he didn't suspect a thing. He checked the screen, saw the contact name was saved as 'Sister,' and handed it back."

A heavy sigh of relief came through the speaker, followed by Leonie's cold, dangerous warning. "You need to be extremely careful, Anna. Brandon isn't someone we can afford to play with. If he gets even a whiff of what we're doing, we're both dead."

A cocky, quiet laugh slipped from my throat as I eased up against the wall. "Relax, Leonie. Brandon and Aria trust me completely. They think I'm just a devoted, sweet nanny who adores their little girl."

"Just don't mess this up tomorrow—"

My breath hitched. I slammed my thumb against the screen, cutting the line instantly, and shoved the phone under my pillow. I took a quick, calming breath, smoothed down my sweater, and opened the door.

Aria was standing in the hallway, looking at me with soft, genuine concern in her eyes. "Sarah?" Aria asked softly. "Are you okay? Did Brandon scare you?"

I immediately shifted into character, dropping my shoulders and giving her a small, timid, innocent smile. "Oh... no, Miss Aria. Not at all. Mr. Brandon was just... making sure Amelia was safe and in good hands. I completely understand."

I paused, looking down at my hands with fake embarrassment. "I'm just sorry I never mentioned to you that I had a sister. I didn't mean to create any confusion."

Aria offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "It's really not a problem at all. I just wanted to come up and check on you to make sure you were alright after he confronted you."

"I'm fine, Miss Aria. Thank you," I said softly.

"Goodnight, Sarah."

"Goodnight, Miss Aria." I watched her walk back down the hallway toward her bedroom. As soon as her door clicked shut, the soft, meek expression melted off my face. A slow, triumphant smirk spread across my lips in the dark.

“They have no idea,” I thought. “It's all coming together perfectly.”

The next morning, the house was alive with early energy. I dressed Amelia in her bright pink school activity outfit, brushing her soft curls while she chattered endlessly about the games she was going to play with her classmates.

When we walked downstairs, Aria was already dressed for the day, standing by the kitchen island. Anthony was waiting near the front door, his broad frame framed by the morning light.

"Are we ready?" Anthony asked, his sharp eyes sweeping over us.

Amelia nodded eagerly, holding her lunchbox high. "Yes, Uncle Anthony." She turned, giving me a bright wave. "Bye, Sarah.”

"Bye, sweetheart. Have fun," I called out warmly.

I stood by the window, watching quietly until Anthony's car pulled out of the driveway and vanished down the street.

The second they were gone, I pulled out my phone and dialed Leonie.

"They just left," I reported in a low voice. "In an hour, I'll head to Amelia's school. I'll tell the staff that Aria was in a serious car accident and that I need to take her immediately. That's when I'll make my move and take the girl."

"My men are already in position around the block," Leonie replied, her voice dark and focused. "Make sure you succeed, Anna. There are no second chances."

"Consider it done." An hour later, I grabbed my bag and walked out the front gate. I gave the perimeter security guard a casual smile. "I have a quick personal errand to run," I said smoothly, stepping out into the street and hailing a taxi.

When the cab pulled up near the kindergarten, I took a moment to scan the surrounding area. The street was quiet, bright, and completely normal. No suspicious cars, no extra guards, just parents dropping off late supplies and teachers moving around the courtyard.

I walked straight through the front doors, putting on a frantic, breathless expression as I approached the front desk.

"Excuse me," I gasped, clutching my chest. "I'm Amelia's nanny, Sarah. I need to pick her up right now—her mother, Aria, was just in a horrific car accident. She's in the hospital."

The receptionist's eyes went wide with shock. "Oh my goodness. That's terrible. Let me page her teacher right away."

Within two minutes, Amelia came walking out into the lobby holding her teacher's hand. The moment I delivered the news, the little girl's face crumpled, tears instantly spilling down her chubby cheeks as a sob broke from her chest.

"M-Mummy?" she cried out, her small hands shaking.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetheart," I lied, pretending to pat her back gently as I steered her toward the double exit doors. "Come on, we have to go right now so you can be with your mummy."

Amelia sobbed, nodding frantically. "O-Okay..." The moment we stepped out past the school gates, a black, tinted van pulled up sharply to the curb, the side door sliding open with a loud click.

Two heavy-set men sat inside, staring straight at us. Amelia stopped dead in her tracks, wiping her tears, her dark eyes looking at the vehicle with sudden confusion. "Sarah... who owns that van? Where is Uncle Anthony?"

The soft, caring nanny facade completely shattered. I grabbed her small wrist tightly, yanking her forward toward the open door. "Quit whining and get in the car," I hissed, my voice dripping with cold malice. "Or else I'll make sure your mother actually dies today."

Amelia gasped, her eyes widening in pure terror as she tried to pull back. "No. Let me go. I'm going to scream."

I sneered down at her, tightening my grip until her skin turned red. "Go ahead and scream, you little brat. No one is going to save you."

"Are you so sure about that?" A deep, lethal voice sliced through the air like a broadsword. I froze, the blood draining from my face so fast my vision blurred. I whipped my head around.

Stepping out from the deep shadows of the school's brick archway were Brandon and Aria.

Aria's eyes were blazing with pure, protective fury, while Brandon stood like a towering reaper, his face an unyielding mask of stone.

Before the men inside the van could even react, a dozen heavily armed guards materialized from every corner of the street, weapons drawn and raised, pinning the vehicle in place.

Fear clogged my throat, my knees turning to water as Brandon took a single, slow step toward me, his dark eyes locking onto mine with terrifying finality.