Chapter 3 - The Viper in the House
The atmosphere in the Hawthorne estate shifted from cold protocol to suffocating paranoia. Daniel immediately canceled Maya’s termination, much to the visible outrage of Mrs. Vance, the estate manager. Mrs. Vance had controlled the household with an iron fist since Clara’s supposed death, and she watched Maya with a venomous glare from the shadows of the parlor. Daniel ordered his private security team to lock down the estate, barring anyone from entering or leaving. In the safety of the east wing library, Daniel gently questioned Maya. She revealed she had woken up in a remote coastal hospital three years ago with severe burns, amnesia, and a forged identity. She had been drawn to the nanny position at the Hawthorne estate by an inexplicable, magnetic pull—a subconscious tether to the son she didn't realize she had lost. As Maya spoke, Daniel noticed the terrified glances she shot toward the doorway. Someone in this house had recognized her before Daniel did. Someone who had tried to get her fired today. Daniel’s eyes narrowed. Mrs. Vance hadn't fired Maya for breaking a rule; she had fired Maya because she knew exactly who she was.
