The front door clicked shut behind me. I dropped my keys into the ceramic bowl on the console table.

The metallic clatter echoed sharply through the quiet house.

I set the plastic bag of prenatal vitamins down next to them. Two hours early. Damon expected me to be at the clinic all afternoon, trapped in the usual waiting room purgatory.

A sudden blur of movement near the hallway caught my eye.

Mia darted across the living room carpet, heading straight for the kitchen. Her bare feet slapped loudly against the hardwood transition.

"Mia?" I called out.

She froze. Her shoulders jerked upward, and she spun around to face me.

Our live-in nanny looked nothing like the sickly, bedridden girl I had left behind this morning. She wore an oversized silk nightgown that hung loosely off one shoulder. The collar was stretched wide, exposing a vast expanse of her collarbone. A deep, blotchy red flush stained her neck and crept up her cheeks. Her hair stuck up in wild, tangled knots, clinging to her forehead with sweat.

"Sophie!" She grabbed her collar, yanking it up to her neck. Her fingers trembled visibly. "You're home early."

"The doctor ran ahead of schedule," I said. I set my bag down and took a step toward her. "Are you feeling worse? You look awful."

She let out a short, nervous laugh that sounded more like a choke.

"No, no. I just..." She stammered, backing away as I approached. "My fever broke."

"You're sweating," I pointed out.

"I took a heavy nap and slept right through the afternoon under too many blankets."

"And now you're sprinting through the house?"

"I just woke up," she insisted, her voice pitching a full octave higher than normal. "I realized what time it was and I was rushing to start dinner for you and Damon."

"You don't need to run. It's only four o'clock."

Mia blinked, her eyes darting wildly toward the wall clock. "Oh. I guess my alarm was wrong."

I frowned. A strange, cold knot formed in my stomach.

"Don't worry about cooking," I told her, keeping my tone perfectly even. "You're sick. Go back to bed. I'll order takeout."

"Are you sure?" She took a quick step backward, retreating toward the kitchen island. "I can just throw something together. It's no trouble at all."

"Positive. Go rest."

"I feel bad leaving you to handle dinner. Especially after your appointment."

"I said go rest, Mia." My voice sharpened, just a fraction.

Mia flinched. She nodded quickly, keeping her head down as she scurried past me and disappeared down the hall to her bedroom.

A sharp click broke the silence.

The study door swung open.

Damon stepped out into the hallway. He wore a crisp white button-down shirt, tucked perfectly into his tailored slacks. His tie was perfectly knotted. He rolled his shoulders, rubbing the back of his neck like a man exhausted from hours of grueling work.

"Soph?" He blinked, feigning a look of mild surprise. "I didn't even hear you come in."

"I just got back a few minutes ago."

He crossed the distance between us in three long strides. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. His skin felt unusually warm against mine.

"How was the checkup?" he asked, his voice low and smooth. "Did the doctor say everything is on track?"

"Everything is fine. The baby is healthy."

"Thank God." He let out a long, heavy sigh, leaning his forehead against mine. "I hated missing it. You know I did."

"I know. Mia had that sudden fever this morning, so I just went by myself. It wasn't a big deal."

"Right." Damon didn't even glance down the hall where Mia had vanished. "I've been locked in that study since lunch. That international merger meeting dragged on forever. Those overseas executives love to talk in circles."

I glanced toward the closed study door, then back at his perfectly pressed shirt. "You look exhausted. Did you even take a break?"

"No time for breaks today. Just a massive headache." He squeezed my hip gently. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you today. Once this quarter ends, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll take a week off. Just you, me, and the baby."

I stepped back, putting an inch of space between us. A strange numbness settled in my chest. Instead of feeling comforted, his promises rang hollow.

"I'm in the early stages, Damon. I can handle a routine doctor's appointment alone. You don't need to worry about me."

"I'm your husband. It's my job to worry. What do you want for dinner? Takeout tonight?"

"Thai food."

"Perfect. I'll order it right now. Why don't you go upstairs and put your feet up? You've had a long day."

"Did you hear Mia running around earlier?" I asked.

"Mia? No. I had my noise-canceling headphones on the whole time. Why?"

"Nothing. She just seemed

The bathroom door swung open, releasing a cloud of steam. Damon stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping from his wet hair onto his shoulders.

I held up the scrap of black lace.

"Damon," I said, my voice tight. "Whose is this?"

He paused, wiping a hand over his face. He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. He just stared at the underwear dangling from my fingers.

"It's yours, Soph," he said evenly.

"I have never bought anything like this." I shook the fabric. "And this size? It's tiny. It wouldn't have fit me even before I got pregnant."

Damon chuckled, a low, dismissive sound. He walked over, closing the distance between us, and reached for the lace.

"You bought it months ago, right before we found out about the baby," he explained, his tone smooth and reassuring. "You ordered it online, remember? It came in the wrong size, and you complained about how you forgot to return it. It must have just gotten mixed up in the laundry and ended up on the bed."

I stared at him. "I don't remember that."

"Pregnancy brain, sweetheart." He tapped my forehead gently. "The doctor said you'd be forgetful. You're stressing over nothing."

He took the underwear from my hand, walked over to the small trash can by the vanity, and dropped it in.

"There," he said, turning back to me. "Problem solved. Don't let it upset you, Sophie. You know stress isn't good for the baby."

I looked at the trash can, then back at Damon's calm, handsome face. My chest tightened, a knot of unease settling deep in my stomach. But he was right about one thing—getting worked up wasn't good for the baby.

"I'm going to sleep," I muttered, turning away.

"Good idea," he said, following me to the bed. "Get some rest."

The next morning, the sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows did little to warm the chill in my bones. Damon sat at the island, scrolling through his phone, a cup of black coffee steaming next to his hand.

I set my mug down with a sharp clack.

"I want to let Mia go," I said.

Damon's finger froze on the screen. He slowly lowered his phone, the relaxed lines of his face hardening instantly.

"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

"I want to fire her. We can hire an older, more experienced nanny. Someone grounded."

"Are you out of your mind?" Damon stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the tiles. "Where is this coming from?"

"I just don't think she's a good fit."

"Not a good fit?" He scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're being completely irrational, Sophie. This is just your pregnancy hormones making you paranoid. You're imagining things."

"I'm not imagining anything. I want her gone."

"Well, you can't." He leaned across the island, his eyes narrowing. "She's family."

I blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"She's a distant cousin on my mother's side," Damon stated, his tone brooking no argument. "She lost her job and her apartment. She had nowhere else to go. I took her in so she wouldn't be on the street. Plus, she's your age. I thought having someone young around would keep you company while I'm at work."

Before I could respond, the kitchen door swung open. Mia stood there, holding a steaming bowl on a tray. She wore a modest, high-necked sweater today, a stark contrast to yesterday's silk slip.

She looked between Damon and me, her eyes widening.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice trembling. She set the tray down on the counter. "Sophie, are you mad at me? Is this about yesterday? Because I couldn't go to the clinic with you?"

"It has nothing to do with yesterday," I said flatly.

"See?" Damon turned to me, gesturing toward Mia. "She's terrified she did something wrong. You're terrorizing the poor girl over nothing."

Mia's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm so sorry, Sophie. I really am. I made your herbal soup. Please, don't be angry."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm not angry about the clinic, Mia."

"Then what is it?" Damon demanded, pulling his phone from his pocket. "You don't believe she's my cousin? Fine. I'll prove it."

He hit a button and put the phone on speaker, tossing it onto the counter. It rang twice before a familiar, crisp voice answered.

"Damon? What is it?"

"Mom," Damon said, his eyes locked on mine. "Sophie needs some reassurance. Can you explain to her exactly how we're related to Mia?"

A brief pause hung in the air, filled only by the faint static of the connection. Then, his mother spoke.

"Mia?" His mother's voice crackled through the tiny phone speaker. "Yes, she is my great-aunt's granddaughter. Why are you calling me about this in the middle of the workday?"

"Sophie thinks I hired a complete stranger," Damon replied, leaning his hip against the kitchen island.

"Sophie, dear." The older woman's tone shifted, adopting a sharp, condescending edge. "I understand pregnancy makes women difficult, but you need to stop being so petty."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "She is overstepping her boundaries."

"Mia is a remarkably sweet, hardworking girl," his mother scolded. "She cleans your house and cooks your meals. You should be grateful you have an extra set of hands."

"I didn't ask her to do any of that," I shot back. "She was hired to be a nanny, but the baby isn't even here yet."

"She is preparing!" his mother snapped. "Do not be so narrow-minded, Sophie. Family helps family. You need to be far more accommodating."

The line went dead.

Damon pocketed his phone. "Are we done here?"

I stared at the black screen on the counter. Two against one. Three, if I counted the girl hovering near the refrigerator. My pulse thudded loudly in my ears. Arguing further would only spike my blood pressure, and the doctor had explicitly warned me about managing my stress levels.

"Fine," I muttered, dropping my arms. "She stays."

Damon crossed the kitchen in two strides. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me firmly against his chest. "Thank you. You're making the right choice."

Mia scurried forward. She dropped into a crouch right in front of us and pressed her bare palm directly against my lower abdomen.

"I will take such good care of you," Mia whispered. Her eyes gleamed as she stroked the fabric of my sweater. "Both of you."

A violent shudder ripped down my spine. I jerked back, breaking Damon's embrace and swatting Mia's hand away.

"Don't touch me," I demanded.

I turned and walked out of the kitchen. Let them think they won this round. I needed solid proof, and I was going to find it.

Over the next four weeks, my own house turned into a minefield of bizarre, unsettling discoveries.

"Is that my pearl hairpin?" I asked one Tuesday afternoon, pointing at the glittering clip securing Mia's messy bun.

Mia reached up, her fingers grazing the faux pearls. "Oh! I found it under the living room sofa. I just pinned it up so it wouldn't get sucked into the vacuum cleaner."

A week later, I yanked open the top drawer of the hallway console, searching for spare keys. My missing gold pendant sat perfectly coiled next to Mia's cherry lip balm.

"I was keeping it safe!" Mia cried when I held it up to her face. "You leave your jewelry everywhere, Sophie. I didn't want it to get lost."

"Then why didn't you put it in my jewelry box?" I challenged.

"I forgot!"

Damon always took her side. Every single time.

The breaking point arrived on a rainy Thursday afternoon.

I finished my prenatal yoga class early and headed straight upstairs to change. I pushed open the master bedroom door.

Mia stood in front of my full-length mirror.

She wasn't cleaning. She wasn't organizing. She was posing.

She wore my red leather mini skirt. The zipper strained dangerously against her hips. She twisted side to side, admiring her reflection, running her hands down the tight material.

"Take it off," I commanded.

Mia shrieked. She spun around, her face draining of all color. "Sophie! I—I was just fixing your closet!"

"By wearing my clothes?" I stepped into the room, slamming the door shut behind me. "Take my skirt off right now."

"It fell off the hanger!" She grabbed the hem, tugging it downward as if trying to cover her exposed thighs. "I just wanted to see if it fit."

"You have absolutely no right to touch my things."

"You can't even zip it anymore!" Mia blurted out.

I froze. "What did you just say to me?"

Mia slapped a hand over her mouth. "I just meant... because of the baby. It's too tight for you now. It's just going to waste in the back of the closet."

The bedroom door clicked open.

"What is all this yelling?" Damon asked, stepping onto the carpet.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze dropped immediately to Mia's bare legs, lingering for a fraction of a second before darting up to my furious expression.

"She is wearing my clothes," I told him, my voice dangerously low. "In our bedroom. Fire her, Damon. Today."

Tears spilled over Mia's eyelashes. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking violently. "I'm sorry! I've never owned anything so pretty. I was just pretending."

Damon sighed heavily. He stepped between us, effectively shielding Mia from my view.

"Sophie, look at her," he said gently. "She's just a kid who made a stupid mistake. She doesn't have the luxury of buying designer clothes."

"I don't care. Get her out of my house."

"No." Damon's jaw tightened. "I am not throwing my cousin onto the street over a piece of leather."

"She insulted my body," I fired back. "She is invading my privacy!"

"I didn't mean to insult her!" Mia cried to Damon, grabbing the back of his shirt. "I just said she's glowing and pregnant!"

"Liar," I hissed.

"Enough," Damon ordered. He turned his head slightly, addressing the weeping girl behind him. "Take it off and put it back. Right now."

"I will," Mia sobbed, retreating toward the master bathroom to change. "I swear."

Damon faced me again, his expression hardening into stone. "If she does it again, I will pack her bags myself. I promise you that. But right now, you need to calm down."

I stared at my husband. He wasn't looking at me with concern or apology. He was aggressively managing a problem. The blatant favoritism settled over me like a suffocating blanket. He wasn't protecting a helpless family member. He was protecting her.

By my fourth month of pregnancy, my bump had grown round and firm.

I sat on the edge of our mattress one evening, folding a stack of new maternity shirts.

Damon walked out of the walk-in closet. He carried two fluffy pillows under his left arm and a thick white duvet tucked under his right.

"What are you doing with those?" I asked.

He tossed the bedding onto the armchair near the window. "I'm moving into the guest room."

I stopped folding. "Why?"

"I toss and turn too much." He rubbed the back of his neck, actively avoiding my eyes. "I kicked you twice in my sleep last night. I don't want to hurt you or the baby."

"You didn't kick me," I replied evenly.

"I wake up every time you get out of bed to use the bathroom," he countered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We both need our rest. My work schedule is brutal right now. It just makes sense for a little while."

"The guest room is right next to Mia's room," I pointed out.

"It's the only other furnished bedroom on this floor, Sophie." His tone grew sharp, laced with immediate irritation. "Do you want me to sleep on the downstairs sofa?"

"No."

"Then it's settled." He scooped up the pillows and the duvet. "It's just until the baby comes. Better for everyone."

"Okay," I said, keeping my voice perfectly flat. "Goodnight."

He walked out, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

I sat perfectly still in the empty room.

Damon thought he was being clever. He thought his excuse was flawless. But as I stared at the closed door, a cold, sharp clarity pierced through the lingering fog of my denial.

He wasn't moving out to protect my sleep.

He was moving out to be closer to her.