Page 14 of Hidden While In Sight

Hannah let out a small burst of sound that could have been considered a laugh. Diego sank into his chair.

“Not again!” the boy whined as he settled farther into his beanbag chair. Diego stared at him. He’d never heard the boy whine before. “I’m sick of that one!”

“That must mean it’s her favorite then.” Hannah’s half smile looked forced this time as she quickly sat on the ground, motioning Emma into her lap. “Want to join us, Connor?” she offered as she opened the book.

Connor folded into himself tighter.

Hannah didn’t wait to begin reading to her daughter. Diego had to admit it: she sucked at it. Her tone was flat and boring.

Emma wriggled in her lap, grabbing for the book and trying to tug it closer.

Hannah shook her head. “I won’t be able to read it from that close, Emma.” Her tone softened more than it did when she was reading; she wasn’t angry, just explaining. She tried to tug the book backward a little.

“No! Chomp!” the little girl cried, hopping up and down and tugging. “Chomp! Chomp!”

Hannah’s happiness fell away as her brows drew together in confusion. “I don’t understand, Emma, honey.”

Connor shoved up from the beanbag, stomping over as the other two played tug-of-war with the book. He jerked on it, and Hannah let go. He glared at her, then moved the book toward Emma’s grinning face, closing it slightly as he shouted, “Chomp!”

Emma giggled in delight.

Hannah’s face lost every trace of tightness. It had gone as slack as the non-working side of her mouth, awe filling every line. “Oh!” she exclaimed, her hands shaking as Connor passed back the book.

Hannah cleared her throat, read the line, and as she reached the word, she mimicked her son’s motion, even if her tone was much flatter than his as she read, “Chomp!”

Emma giggled again, leaning into her mother’s chest.

And Diego finally saw it. Half of Hannah’s face spread in a grin, making the dimple in that cheek flash as she let out the slight sound that passed for a laugh.

He realized that, even though he’d watched her for days and days, he didn’t know Hannah Ashford at all.

Hannah was a mother who completely adored her kids.

Diego usually muted the playroom monitor, but he listened to the whole stupid book, not caring that it was the dumbest thing ever. His chest got tighter and tighter as he memorized Hannah’s smile and brushed his finger over her dimple on the monitor.

The book was short, and Hannah denied her daughter’s request when Emma asked for it to be read again, kissing her cheeks over and over before lifting her daughter away from her and pushing herself to her feet.

Her hands lifted, reaching toward her son. “Connor?”

The little boy turned his face into the beanbag chair he’d returned to, not looking at her.

Hannah’s hands dropped, and her dimple faded. “I love you, Connor.” She gave Emma another quick hug. “I love you, Emma. I love you both so much. Every moment with the two of you is special to me.”

She whirled and opened the door, shutting it behind her and leaning on it as Emma burst into tears.

Hannah’s head thumped into the door, her breath shuddering. She stared straight into the camera as her face hardened, her nostrils flared, and Diego saw her hatred peering out from her cracked mask.

He found it as mesmerizing as her dimple.

Hannah shut her eyes, breathing in and out as she listened to her daughter fall apart. When her eyes opened, they still held a flicker of emotion, but her face had become tight and blank again.

Ashford’s hiccupping gasp of a climax from the den’s camera mingled with his daughter’s continuing sobs.

Chapter 8

Diego drummed his fingers on the desk, frustrated that the monitors were mostly empty again.

When he had managed to drag his gaze away from Hannah, he’d found that, at some point, Ashford had switched from fucking the nanny’s mouth to fucking her cunt, and he’d worked her ass into the crack of the cushions of Hannah’s favorite couch. Ashford’s body shuddered on top of the nanny as he panted for breath, his neck straining against the collar he’d never bothered to unbutton.

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