Chapter 5 The message

Alessia's POV

By the end of the first week, I had learned three things about living in Adrian Virelli's mansion.

First, the house had more cameras than a bank.

Second, the staff spoke in careful whispers whenever Adrian's name came up.

And third, Ava Virelli was a walking disaster wrapped in an eight-year-old's body.

After the incident with the forbidden wing, Adrian had given me a very clear warning.

Stay out of that part of the house.

There had been no explanation, no discussion, just an order delivered in that cold voice that made it clear he wasn't used to being questioned.

Since then, I had done exactly that.

I stayed where I was supposed to stay. I followed Mrs. Davenport's instructions. And most importantly, I learned to watch out for Ava.

Because Ava liked games.

One day she swapped the sugar in my tea for salt and watched quietly while I took a sip. Another time she hid my phone somewhere in the library and observed me from the staircase as I spent nearly an hour searching for it.

She never admitted to anything but I knew.

She just watched like she was waiting to see how long it would take before I broke.

But I didn't break.

I couldn't afford to.

Three years, I reminded myself constantly.

Three years and my family would be safe.

Saturday morning was strangely quiet.

Adrian had left early for work, and most of the staff had the day off except for the security guards stationed outside the gates. Even Mrs. Davenport had disappeared into another wing of the house to handle inventory.

Which meant it was just me and Ava.

That alone should have made me nervous.

But the day started... peacefully.

Suspiciously so.

We were sitting in the garden behind the mansion, where trimmed hedges lined the stone paths and the enormous pool shimmered under the afternoon sun.

Ava sat cross-legged on the grass beside me, slowly pulling apart a daisy.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "you're the only nanny who didn't cry during her first week here." She mused out loud.

I glanced at her. "Should I be concerned?"

"Probably." She shrugged like the thought didn't bother her in the slightest.

Then she looked up at me.

"You're really not leaving?"

The question caught me off guard.

"No, I'm not."

"Why?"

I couldn't say it was because your father bought my life for a billion dollars.

Instead I said, "Because I said I'd stay."

She studied me for a long moment, her sharp eyes searching my face as if she were trying to decide whether I meant it or not.

Then something unexpected happened. Before I could react, she walked over and wrapped her arms around me.

I froze instantly.

In the entire week I had been here, Ava had never touched me,not even by accident.

The hug was sudden and awkward, her small arms squeezing my waist.

For a moment, my guard slipped.

Maybe this was her way of making peace. Maybe she had finally decided I wasn't going anywhere and was willing to accept it.

Tentatively, I relaxed and returned the hug.

That was when everything went wrong. Ava shifted her weight suddenly, grabbing the front of my shirt.

Before I understood what she was doing, she leaned backward-hard.

Pulling me with her.

A loud splash echoed across the yard.Cold water swallowed us instantly.

The shock knocked the breath from my lungs as I plunged beneath the surface.

When I resurfaced, gasping for air, Ava was already several feet away from me in the pool.

And screaming.

"Help!"

My heart skipped.

"Alessia pushed me!"

The words echoed across the garden.

For a moment I just stared at her, stunned by how quickly it had happened.

She had pulled me into the water... then shoved herself away... and now she was acting like I had attacked her.

Footsteps thundered across the stone tiles.

"Ava!"

Adrian's voice exploded across the yard.

Before I could even process what was happening, he dove into the pool.

Water crashed around us as he reached Ava first, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.She clung to his shoulders, trembling dramatically.

"I'm fine, Daddy," she sniffled.

Adrian didn't seem to hear her.

His dark eyes snapped toward me, blazing with fury.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded.

My chest tightened.

"It's not what it looks like." I tried to defend myself.

"You pushed her into the pool?" His voice was ice cold. "She's eight years old!"

"I didn't-"

"You are responsible for her safety, how could you be so careless?" The venom in his voice sent shivers down my spine.

"I know that but-"

"You're her nanny," he cut in sharply. "Act like one."

Shock rendered me speechless.

He carried Ava out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her shoulders.

She peeked at me from behind him and smirked.

By evening, the cold had settled deep into my bones.

I sat on the edge of my bed wrapped tightly in a blanket while steam curled from the bowl of soup Mrs. Davenport had placed it on the bedside table.

"You should drink it while it's hot," she said gently.

"I will."

She studied me for a moment with a knowing expression.

"I warned you," she said. "Miss Ava is not a typical child."

"That's one way to put it." I said bitterly

Mrs. Davenport sighed softly.

"She's just misunderstood...She's been abandoned by every woman who tried to care for her."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The first nanny left after two weeks. The second lasted three days. The governess before you lasted exactly twenty-six hours."

"That's... comforting." I sighed.

She patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"Just be careful."

Then she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

The silence that followed felt heavier than before. I stared down at the untouched soup.

Could I really survive three years here?

Maybe it wasn't worth it.

Maybe I should leave before things got worse.

Before Ava's games escalated.

Before Adrian's distrust hardened into something more permanent and dangerous.

A knock sounded on the door.

Before I could answer, it opened.

Adrian stepped inside.

He looked different tonight, less controlled somehow, the sharp edges of his usual composure slightly worn down.

"I owe you an apology," he said.

I blinked.

"What?"

"I reviewed the security footage."

Understanding slowly dawned on me.

"And?"

"And Ava pushed herself into the pool." He paused trying to gauge my reaction when I remained quiet he continued.

"She pulled you in with her, then pretended you did it."

He combed his hair backwards roughly with his hands.

"I shouldn't have blamed you without knowing the truth."

The apology sounded reluctant but genuine.

"She does things like this sometimes," he added.

"She frames people for attempted drowning?" I asked sarcastically.

"She's testing you."

I laughed bitterly. "Thats one hell of a test."

His gaze sharpened.

"You're thinking of leaving." It wasn't a question.

"Ava isn't a bad child," he said quietly. "She's just hurt."

I crossed my arms.

"Hurt kids don't usually weaponize swimming pools."

"If you leave too... it will confirm exactly what she already believes, that no one ever stays."

The room fell silent again.

I exhaled slowly before I could speak, my phone lit up.

An unknown number had sent me a picture.

My stomach dropped when I opened it. It was a picture of Marissa with a positive pregnancy test.