CHAP 4 — The Orders in His Name
Brooke tried to laugh.
It came out thin.
“Nathan, don’t be dramatic. The child wandered into a formal dinner, and Sarah spilled coffee on me.”
Nathan looked at the coffee.
Then at Sarah’s hands.
They were trembling.
Not from carelessness.
From fear.
“Sarah,” he said quietly, “has Brooke spoken to you like this before?”
Sarah’s throat closed.
Every instinct told her to say no.
Keep the job.
Keep the cottage.
Keep Ellie safe.
Brooke leaned back, calm returning to her face.
She knew silence. She had counted on it.
Sarah looked down at Ellie.
Ellie’s small fingers clutched her apron.
Then Sarah said, barely above a whisper, “Yes.”
The word cracked the room open.
Brooke’s eyes flashed.
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“How long?”
Sarah could not answer.
Ellie did.
“She says Mommy is not allowed in pretty rooms.”
A woman at the table covered her mouth.
Nathan looked at Brooke.
Brooke snapped, “This is absurd. You are letting a maid and her child humiliate me at my own engagement dinner.”
“My house,” Nathan said.
His voice was low.
Brooke blinked.
“And my question.”
He turned toward Reginald, the butler.
“Bring me Sarah’s employment file.”
Brooke’s face changed so quickly that only Sarah saw the panic beneath it.
Reginald returned with the file. Nathan opened it at the table. The room stayed silent as pages turned.
Then he stopped.
“What is this?”
Brooke’s fingers tightened around her napkin.
Sarah’s stomach dropped.
Nathan lifted a document.
A termination notice.
Dated for Monday.
Signed with Nathan’s name.
Sarah stared at it.
“I’ve never seen that.”
Nathan’s voice became colder.
“Neither have I.”
Brooke stood.
“I was handling household restructuring. You told me I could make decisions.”
“I told you to choose flowers.”
Nathan flipped another page.
Eviction notice from the guest cottage.
Loss of health benefits.
Final pay withheld pending review of “stolen household property.”
Sarah stopped breathing.
“Stolen?”
Brooke’s face hardened.
“Don’t pretend. My bracelet went missing last week.”
Nathan looked at Reginald.
“Did Brooke report that to security?”
Reginald’s voice was stiff.
“No, sir. She instructed staff not to mention it until after tonight.”
The guests shifted uncomfortably.
Nathan turned to Brooke.
“You were going to accuse Sarah after dinner.”
Brooke lifted her chin.
“She has access to everything.”
Ellie’s voice shook.
“Miss Brooke put shiny thing in Mommy’s bag.”
Everyone turned.
Sarah bent toward her.
“What?”
Ellie pointed toward Brooke’s silver clutch on the table.
“I saw. She took it back when Mommy cried.”
Brooke went white.
May you like
Nathan looked at security.
“Open the clutch.”
