Page 90 of Nanny and the Beast

“Who’s funding this?” someone asks.

Alexander shakes his head. “All the transactions are through cryptocurrency, so it’s nearly impossible to trace. This is why we need to leverage all of our resources to work on this. It’s not just about taking down a few servers; we need to dismantle the entire operation.”

There’s a chorus of agreement from around the table.

Cases like these are the very reason the Resistance was born. It’s to protect humanity against the evils of the world. Thesewealthy, influential people hold power and know how to use it well.

“I can’t imagine how sick someone has to be to hurt children like this,” Alaric says from beside me.

I nod, silently agreeing with him.

The leaders of the divisions spend the next two hours coming up with an action plan. The tech team plays a vital role, but there’s also a plan to figure out if a new criminal syndicate is behind this.

By the end of the discussion, my entire body is filled with unadulterated disgust.

The meeting is followed by food and drink, but nobody has much of an appetite left after the things we’ve just learned. I stand beside Alaric as he greets a few people.

When we’re alone, Alaric glances over at me. “We’ll hit the gym later?”

I nod, beyond grateful that I don’t have to say a word for him to understand me. He always knows the right thing to say.

“Can we leave now?” I ask. It’s been a long fucking day. I know sleep won’t come to me until I release these pent-up emotions.

“I just made eye contact with the Winslows,” he says, waving at a famous British actress and her husband.

“My social battery is drained,” I say. “I’ll be in the car. Don’t make me wait too long.”

Before he can protest, I walk away from him.

I didn’t always have social anxiety. During our college days, Alaric and I used to throw parties that would last all weekend. We invited everyone we knew, and I never felt the need to escape from all the noise.

But everything can change in the blink of an eye.

A crowded room now feels like a battlefield. Hidden danger lurks in every corner, and I’m responsible for keeping everyonealive. It takes too much mental energy to even exist at these big events.

Alaric tries to get me to talk about it, but I can never find the right words to explain.

Once I’m in the car, I turn my phone on. There are company emails and important updates from my team, but I go straight to the security cameras. I check on the kids first. They’re sound asleep in their beds.

Eventually, I switch to the feed of Emma’s bedroom.

She’s asleep in her bed now. The gentle rise and fall of her chest makes it easier for me to breathe. The frustration of the day melts from my body. For the first time tonight, I let myself relax.

She looks even more beautiful in her sleep.

I splay my fingers over the phone, wanting to brush away the loose curl that has fallen over her face.

I don’t understand why she has this effect on me. All I know is that I’m drawn to her. She gives me the kind of peace that my psychiatrists promised with pills.

But I’ll never let myself have her.

I’ll never sully her angelic aura with my darkness.

21

EMMA

Klaus is away on a trip, but I still feel his presence everywhere. I still feel him watching me. I can’t explain it, but I know that he’s thinking about me too.

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