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Part 2: The Socialite Viper

The first forty-eight hours were a grueling, exhausting success. The new formula worked miracles, and my massages relieved the built-up tension in Leo’s body. He began to sleep in actual four-hour blocks. The staff in the mansion looked at me as if I were performing witchcraft.

On the afternoon of my third day, the Sterling family received a guest.

She was a woman in her late twenties, exquisitely styled, dressed head-to-toe in designer couture, her twelve-centimeter stilettos clicking sharply against the marble foyer. She moved with an aggressive, suffocating sense of ownership over the house.

She bypassed the staff and marched straight into the living room where I was holding Leo.

“Did you replace the nanny again, Aunt Eleanor?” the woman asked, her voice dripping with aristocratic boredom.

Eleanor nodded from the sofa. “Vanessa, this is Harper. She’s been doing quite well.”

Vanessa Croft stepped forward, bending down to inspect Leo.

A suffocating, overpowering wave of heavy, floral Chanel perfume hit my nose.

“Smelly… it burns… disgusting…” Leo’s inner voice whined in my head.

I remained expressionless, holding the baby securely and taking a deliberate step backward, out of her reach.

Vanessa’s perfectly manicured eyebrows snapped together. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“The baby’s olfactory senses are currently highly sensitive while his gut heals,” I said calmly. “Strong perfumes are an irritant.”

Vanessa’s eyes turned into icy slits. “Are you attempting to teach me how to approach a child in my own home?”

“I am simply protecting the child I am paid to protect,” I replied.

Eleanor quickly intervened. “Vanessa, darling, she has a point. Leo has been very sensitive lately.”

“Aunt Eleanor,” Vanessa scoffed. “She’s a high-school dropout. Are you seriously going to let an uneducated street hire dictate the rules of the Sterling family?”

Vanessa crossed her arms, glaring at me. “I actually came over because I found the perfect candidate for you. Dr. Evelyn Reed. She’s a registered pediatric consultant in Los Angeles. She handles the infants of A-list celebrities. Should I call her for an interview tomorrow so we can replace this… amateur?”

Before Eleanor could answer, the heavy front doors swung open.

Roman Sterling walked in, loosening his silk tie. He took in the tense atmosphere instantly. “What is going on here?”

Vanessa’s entire demeanor shifted. The aggressive viper vanished, replaced by a radiant, sickeningly sweet smile. “Roman! I was just telling Aunt Eleanor about a brilliant pediatric specialist I know. I think she’d be perfect for Leo.”

Roman ignored her entirely. He looked directly at me. “How is my son today, Harper?”

“His digestion has fully normalized,” I reported. “He slept for six hours straight last night, and he hasn’t cried once today.”

Leo, currently gnawing happily on my index finger, let out a joyful, bubbling giggle at the sound of his father’s voice.

Roman stared at the smiling baby, visibly moved. He looked back at Eleanor. “Draft her contract. She stays.”

Vanessa’s smile froze violently, cracking at the edges. “Roman, I really think a professional—”

“I don’t care what you think, Vanessa,” Roman cut her off, his voice absolute zero. “Harper is the only one who has managed to bring peace to this house. She has total autonomy over his care.”

Roman walked upstairs.

Vanessa stood perfectly still, glaring at me. If looks could draw blood, I would have been gutted on the marble floor.

“You think you’re clever,” Vanessa hissed under her breath as she passed me. “Enjoy your thirty thousand while it lasts. You won’t survive a month.”

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