AUTHOR'S POV

The Lorenzo mansion peaked with tension.

The house had not known a moment of peace since Dean woke up to Tessa's absence.

This morning was no different from the other morning when he went hysterical for small things, but Tessa's absence contributed the most.

A young woman in a blue nanny uniform stormed down the staircase, her ponytail swinging with each furious step. “I quit!” she bellowed toward the butler, who had been watching from the hallway with mild horror.

Dean, barefoot and furious, stood triumphantly at the top of the stairs with a crayon in hand and a wild scowl across his cherub face. “Don’t come back!”...