By the time I reached the locked bedroom door, I was already convinced my five-year-old twins were hurt—or something even worse. I forced the door open, braced for a nightmare, but what I saw was almost more shocking: our new housekeeper was asleep in my late wife’s bed, with one of my sons snuggled against her chest and the other clutching her apron. And, for the first time since their mother’s death, my boys looked safe.

I stopped dead in my tracks, raising my hands slowly to show I was not a threat.

"Annie, put the gun down," I said softly, my eyes darting around the empty warehouse.

"Where are my children?" I demanded, fighting the urge to rush forward and disarm her.

Annie’s hands were shaking violently, but she kept the barrel of the weapon aimed right at my heart.

"They are safe, hidden in a place Marcus will never find them," she replied, her voice remarkably steady.

"Why should I believe anything you say right now?" I asked, my trust completely shattered.

Annie slowly lowered the gun, tears welling up in her dark eyes.

"Because your wife hired me to protect them, Arthur," she confessed.

I felt as though I had been physically struck in the chest by a heavy weight.

"Lauren has been dead for fourteen months," I choked out, the pain still incredibly raw.

Annie reached into her pocket and pulled out the blood-stained flash drive she had pressed against the car window.

"Lauren knew Marcus was stealing from the company, and she knew he was going to kill her to cover it up."

"She hired me under a fake identity to work as a cafeteria lady, keeping an eye on things from the inside."

Annie explained that Lauren had compiled all the evidence of Marcus's crimes on this specific drive.

"The night of the crash, Lauren called me and told me to get the drive from a hidden compartment in her car."

"I got there right after the truck ran her off the road, but I was too late to save her."

I felt a hot tear trace down my cheek as the horrific puzzle finally began to piece itself together.

Marcus hadn't just stolen my company; he had murdered the love of my life.

"I hid the drive inside the boys' favorite stuffed bear, waiting for the right moment to get into your house," Annie continued.

I reached out and gently took the small piece of plastic from her hand.

"We need to take this to the FBI right now," I said with absolute determination.

Suddenly, a massive metal shipping container in the corner of the warehouse groaned loudly.

The doors swung open, and twenty heavily armed mercenaries stepped out, completely surrounding us in seconds.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

Marcus walked out slowly from behind them, casually clapping his hands together.

"You really shouldn't have fired the fifth nanny, Arthur," Marcus laughed coldly.

Chapter 5 - The Stolen Files