The moment my twin daughters started screaming in the middle of the night, I was certain the new nanny had failed them

. I stormed toward the nursery ready to fire her without a second thought. But the second I opened that door, everything I believed collapsed. The woman I blamed was doing the one thing I hadn't been able to do since my wife died—she made my daughters laugh.

The glowing clock beside my bed read 2:03 a.m., its red numbers cutting through the darkness like a warning. My bedroom was silent except for the familiar ache of loneliness. A loaded Beretta rested beside an untouched glass of whiskey, a reminder that in my world, even sleep demanded protection.

Then the cries shattered the silence.

Not restless fussing.

Not ordinary tears.

These were desperate screams echoing through the east wing of my mansion, hitting me harder than any bullet ever could.

"Damn it..."

I was out of bed before I was fully awake.

Maisie and Rosie had turned four months old, but ever since their mother died, they barely slept, refused every stranger, and chased away every nanny I hired. One lasted two days. Another left in tears before the first week ended.

Only Elise Navarro had somehow survived almost two weeks.

I was convinced tonight would be her last.

Barefoot and furious, I marched through hallways lined with priceless paintings, polished antique rifles, and everything money could buy.

None of it felt like home anymore.

The girls screamed again.

That settled it.

I'd pay Elise generously, have security drive her home before sunrise, and call the agency first thing in the morning. She was kind, patient, and gentle—but kindness couldn't heal the wounds grief had carved into my daughters.

Nothing could.

I stopped outside the nursery and gripped the doorknob.

Pack your things.

You're not capable of taking care of my daughters.

You're finished.

I pushed open the door.

Then I froze.

The nursery glowed beneath the warm light of a single bedside lamp.

In the middle of the room, Elise was dancing.

Not elegantly.

Not professionally.

She wore oversized headphones and bright yellow rubber kitchen gloves, pretending the gloves were arguing like two stubborn puppets. She crossed her eyes, puffed out her cheeks, waddled like a duck, stumbled dramatically across the rug, and finished with the most ridiculous bow I'd ever seen.

It should have looked completely absurd.

Instead...

My daughters were laughing.

Real laughter.

Maisie clapped against the crib rails while Rosie bounced so hard her mattress squeaked beneath her tiny feet. Tears still streaked their little faces, but every cry had vanished, replaced by joyful giggles I hadn't heard since my wife was alive.

My anger disappeared in an instant.

For one heartbreaking moment, I wasn't standing in that nursery anymore.

I was back in our old kitchen, watching my wife dance barefoot in one of my oversized dress shirts, singing terribly into a spatula while our baby girls squealed with delight. Pancake batter covered her hands, sunlight filled the room, and happiness had seemed so ordinary that I believed it would last forever.

I was wrong.

Elise finished another ridiculous spin and finally noticed me standing in the doorway.

Her smile disappeared.

She ripped off her headphones, and the color drained from her face.

"Mr. Caruso..."

The twins immediately sensed the tension. Their laughter faded into nervous silence as their little eyes moved from Elise to me, waiting to see what I would do.

I slowly stepped into the room.

The silence became almost unbearable.

I looked directly at Elise, struggling to control the storm inside me.