The mansion’s nannies called the four boys monsters, but the desperate mother who needed the job saw something everyone else had missed.

When the four boys came downstairs expecting a chaotic morning of running rampant while a terrified nanny tried to offer them sugar, they found something entirely different.

The kitchen had been fully restored to a pristine state by Mrs. Chen and the night staff, but the atmosphere was distinctly Serena's.

Four plates of fluffy blueberry pancakes, warm maple syrup, fresh scrambled eggs, and glasses of milk were arranged neatly at the dining table. Serena was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a crisp white button-down shirt, and sneakers, her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail.

"Sit," Serena said, pointing at the chairs as the four boys trooped into the room.

Nico looked at Marco. "Are we doing the cereal trap again?"

"No," Marco muttered, sitting down grudgingly. "It didn't work yesterday."

"Smart boy," Serena said, setting a bowl of fresh strawberries in the middle of the table. "Eat up. We have fifteen minutes before the SUV takes you to St. Jude’s Academy."

Alessandro squinted at her. "How do you know where we go to school?"

"I read your file last night," Serena said smoothly. "I also read that you, Alessandro, were suspended last month for rearranging the classroom desks into a barricade."

Alessandro grinned proudly. "It took the teacher twenty minutes to get to her desk."

"It was poorly constructed," Serena noted, taking a bite of her own toast. "If she had pushed from the left flank, the whole thing would have collapsed."

Alessandro’s grin vanished. He stared at her, deeply offended once again. "It was not! I interlocking the chair legs!"

"We'll discuss proper structural engineering after school," Serena said, smiling faintly. "Right now, eat."

At 7:45 a.m., the front doors opened, and the boys marched down the front steps, carrying matching navy blue backpacks.

A massive, armored black SUV was waiting at the bottom of the circular driveway. Standing beside the open rear door was a man Serena hadn't seen before.

He was broad, thick-necked, wearing a dark suit with a visible bulge beneath his left armpit—a shoulder holster. His face was scarred near his left eye, and his expression was completely devoid of warmth.

"Morning, kids," the man said in a low, gravelly voice. "In the car."

The boys, who had been loud and rowdy just seconds ago, immediately went rigid and silent. They climbed into the back of the SUV without a single protest, their small faces turning pale and guarded.

Serena noticed the reaction instantly.

She walked down the steps, her eyes fixed on the guard. "Good morning. I'm Serena, the new nanny. I'll be accompanying them to school."

The man looked her up and down, his gaze cold and dismissive. "I'm Franco. Head of Mr. Rinaldi's security detail. You don't need to come. My guys handle the transport."

"I am responsible for these children during school hours," Serena said, stepping toward the SUV door. "If I'm not in that car, they don't leave this driveway."

Franco’s jaw tightened. "Listen, lady, Mr. Rinaldi gives the orders around here, not you—"

"Actually, Franco," a deep voice boomed from the top of the marble steps.

Vittorio stood at the entrance, wearing a tailored charcoal suit and a dark navy tie. He held a leather briefcase in one hand.

"Miss Valente goes where the boys go," Vittorio commanded smoothly, walking down the stairs. "If she wants to ride in the transport, she rides."

Franco scowled, but he stepped aside immediately. "Yes, Boss."

Serena climbed into the middle row of the armored vehicle, sitting beside Tommaso and Nico. Vittorio stood at the open door for a brief second, his gaze lingering on Serena.

"Don't let them out of your sight at the drop-off zone," Vittorio said quietly, his tone dropping into a deadly serious register. "Not even for a second."

"I won't," Serena promised.

The heavy armored door slammed shut with a solid, pressurized click.

As the SUV drove down the long estate driveway and passed through the massive iron gates, Serena looked out the tinted window.

Parked across the street from the Rinaldi estate, hidden beneath the shade of an overgrown oak tree, was a battered silver sedan. The windows were heavily tinted, but as the SUV passed, Serena caught a brief flash of a camera lens pointing directly at the children's car.