Chapter 2
Elena Ruiz had been working for the Vale family for eleven months.
In Beverly Hills, that was considered a long time.
The mansion had six bedrooms, two pools, a private theater, and more security cameras than Elena could count.
But none of those things mattered to her.
The only reason she stayed was Ruby.
Six-year-old Ruby Vale was quiet, clever, and desperately lonely.
Her father, Adrian, owned one of the largest cybersecurity companies in California. He traveled constantly and worked from a glass-walled office at the back of the estate whenever he was home.
Ruby’s stepmother, Celeste, preferred charity lunches, designer stores, and parties filled with people who photographed one another but rarely listened.
That afternoon, Ruby sat at the kitchen island drawing a family of three.
She drew herself in the middle.
Elena stood on one side.
Adrian stood on the other.
Celeste was nowhere on the page.
“Maybe you should add your stepmother,” Elena said gently.
Ruby pressed the purple crayon harder.
“She doesn’t want to be in my family.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ruby looked toward the doorway before lowering her voice.
“She said I ruined her life.”
Elena’s hand froze over the bowl of strawberries.
“When did she say that?”
“Last night.”
“Was your father there?”
Ruby shook her head.
“She only says bad things when Daddy isn’t listening.”
Footsteps struck the marble floor.
Celeste entered the kitchen wearing a white silk dress and diamond earrings.
Her smile looked pleasant.
Her eyes did not.
“Elena, the guests will arrive in an hour,” she said. “Why is Ruby still wearing that?”
Ruby glanced down at her yellow dress.
“It’s my favorite.”
“You look like a school bus.”
Ruby’s shoulders dropped.
Elena placed herself between them.
“I can help her choose another dress.”
“You should have done that already.”
Celeste picked up Ruby’s drawing.
Her smile disappeared.
“What is this?”
Ruby reached for it.
“Give it back.”
Celeste held it above her head.
“You drew the nanny beside your father?”
“Elena takes care of me.”
“I take care of you.”
Ruby’s face tightened.
“You don’t even know what I eat for breakfast.”
Celeste tore the drawing in half.
Ruby gasped.
“Elena!” she cried.
Elena quickly gathered the pieces.
“There was no reason to do that.”
Celeste turned toward her.
“Excuse me?”
“She’s a child, Mrs. Vale.”
“And you are an employee.”
Ruby climbed down from the stool and ran from the kitchen.
Elena started after her, but Celeste caught her arm.
“You are becoming far too comfortable in this house.”
“I’m trying to protect Ruby’s feelings.”
“That isn’t your job.”
“It is part of caring for her.”
Celeste leaned closer.
“You feed her. You dress her. You keep her quiet. You do not teach her to disrespect me.”
“I never have.”
“No?”
Celeste looked at the torn drawing.
“Then why does she want you in her family?”
Before Elena could answer, the front door opened.
Adrian’s voice carried through the entrance hall.
“Ruby?”
A moment later, Ruby rushed into his arms.
Elena saw relief spread across the little girl’s face.
Adrian lifted her.
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” Celeste answered before Ruby could speak. “She had another tantrum.”
Ruby buried her face against her father’s shoulder.
Adrian looked at Elena.
Elena wanted to tell him everything.
Then she saw Celeste watching her.
There was a promise in the woman’s eyes.
Stay silent, or suffer.
“The guests are arriving,” Elena said quietly. “Ruby became overwhelmed.”
Adrian studied her.
He knew something was wrong.
But his phone rang before he could ask.
He set Ruby down and answered it.
Celeste smiled.
“I’ll handle this,” she said.
Adrian touched his daughter’s hair.
“I’ll be in my office. Come get me if you need me.”
Ruby grabbed his sleeve.
“Please stay.”
His expression softened.
“I’ll only be downstairs.”
“You always say that.”
The words struck him harder than Ruby understood.
Adrian ended the call.
“The meeting can wait.”
Celeste’s smile vanished.
“You’re hosting investors tonight.”
“They can wait too.”
“But I planned this evening for weeks.”
“My daughter asked me to stay.”
Celeste stared at Elena as though the nanny had caused it.
Then the doorbell rang.
Within thirty minutes, the mansion filled with wealthy guests.
Champagne moved through the rooms on silver trays.
A string quartet played beneath the curved staircase.
Celeste floated from guest to guest, laughing as though the kitchen confrontation had never happened.
Elena stayed close to Ruby.
Adrian noticed.
Every time Celeste approached, Ruby reached for Elena’s hand.
At seven o’clock, Celeste gathered the guests in the library.
“I want to show everyone something special,” she announced.
She opened a locked display cabinet.
Inside sat a vintage gold Rolex.
“My husband’s mother wore this watch every day for thirty years,” Celeste said. “Adrian gave it to me on our wedding day.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“That watch was supposed to remain in the safe.”
Celeste laughed lightly.
“Oh, don’t be so serious. It deserves to be admired.”
Elena saw Adrian glance at the security panel beside the cabinet.
A small green light blinked.
The cabinet was monitored.
Celeste removed the watch and held it beneath the chandelier.
The guests praised it.
Ruby whispered to Elena, “It belonged to my real grandma.”
“Yes.”
“Daddy never gave it to Celeste.”
Elena looked down.
“What do you mean?”
“He told her she could wear it once.”
Across the room, Celeste watched them whispering.
Then she smiled.
A cold feeling settled in Elena’s stomach.
Twenty minutes later, Celeste announced that the watch was missing.
The music stopped.
Every conversation died.
Adrian moved toward the empty cabinet.
“When did you last see it?”
“It was here moments ago.”
Celeste looked around the room.
Then her gaze landed on Elena.
“Everyone else has been in my sight.”
Elena’s heart began pounding.
“What are you saying?”
Celeste approached her slowly.
“I saw you standing near this cabinet.”
“I was with Ruby.”
“Not the entire time.”
Ruby stepped forward.
“Yes, she was.”
Celeste ignored her.
“Empty your pockets.”
The guests watched in silence.
Elena’s cheeks burned.
“I didn’t take anything.”
“If that’s true, you have nothing to hide.”
Adrian raised a hand.
“Celeste, stop.”
But Celeste had already grabbed Elena’s apron.
She shoved a hand into the front pocket.
Then she pulled out the gold Rolex.
Gasps filled the library.
Elena stared at it.
For one terrible moment, she could not breathe.
“No.”
Celeste held up the watch.
“I knew it.”
“No, you put that there.”
Celeste slapped her.
Elena stumbled backward.
Ruby screamed.
Adrian moved forward, but Celeste shoved Elena again.
This time Elena fell hard against the marble floor.
Pain shot through her wrist.
“You ungrateful thief!” Celeste shouted. “We gave you everything!”
Elena tried to rise.
“I never touched that watch.”
“You were probably planning to sell it.”
Ruby ran toward Elena.
Celeste caught the girl by the shoulders.
“Stay away from her.”
“Let me go!”
“She stole from your family!”
“No, she didn’t!”
Celeste’s fingers dug into Ruby’s arms.
Adrian stepped between them.
“Take your hands off my daughter.”
Something in his voice silenced the entire room.
Celeste released Ruby.
Adrian helped Elena stand.
“Are you hurt?”
“My wrist.”
“I’m calling a doctor.”
“Call the police,” Celeste demanded. “I want her arrested in front of everyone.”
Elena looked at Adrian through frightened tears.
“Mr. Vale, I didn’t do this.”
Celeste smiled.
It was a small, victorious smile.
Adrian saw it.
Then he looked at the watch.
He looked at Elena’s apron.
Finally, he looked at the blinking green light beside the cabinet.
His face became perfectly still.
“Everyone stay here,” he said.
Celeste’s confidence flickered.
“Why?”
May you like
Adrian took out his phone.
“Because I’m going to show you exactly who touched that watch.”
