The boys immediately clung to Grace’s legs.
Victoria snapped her fingers impatiently.
“Now.”
When the boys didn’t obey, Victoria seized Oliver by the arm, making him cry out in pain. Grace reacted instantly, stepping forward.
“Please—don’t pull him. You’ll hurt him.”
Victoria lifted her hand.
That was when Jonathan emerged.
For illustration purposes only
“Victoria,” he said calmly. “What’s happening?”
The anger vanished from her face, replaced by a carefully rehearsed smile. “My love! I was disciplining Grace. She’s been terribly irresponsible.”
Grace stood there, pale, holding Oliver close. Jonathan concealed the anger boiling inside him.
“Grace, take the boys inside. Then come to my office.”
Victoria smiled, certain Grace’s job was about to end.
Inside the office, Grace spoke first, apologizing right away. “I’d never neglect them. They’re everything to me.”
Jonathan studied her. “Why do you always take the blame?”
She hesitated before answering. “If I’m fired… who protects them? Miss Victoria doesn’t know Ethan is afraid of the dark. Or that Oliver needs music to sleep.”
“And who are they afraid of?”
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Her.”
She revealed everything—harsh punishments, isolation, threats. Jonathan’s fists tightened.
That night, he pretended to leave the house. The cameras recorded the truth: Victoria’s cruelty, the arrival of her lover Ryan, and her command to lock the children away. Grace stood in front of the door like a shield.
Jonathan returned before the situation could turn violent.
The police arrived. The lies unraveled. The evidence spoke for itself.
The following day, reporters crowded outside. Jonathan released the footage. Victoria was taken away in handcuffs.
Later, he found Grace kneeling beside the twins, praying quietly.
“Don’t get up,” he said softly.
He didn’t dismiss her. Instead, he raised her up—cleared her debts, ensured her future, and asked her to become the boys’ legal guardian.
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