Chapter 3 - The Shattered Glass
I stared at the broken photograph in absolute horror.
The resemblance was not just a passing similarity.
We had the same dark eyes, the same cheekbones, and the same wavy hair.
Suddenly, a massive hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
Ricardo stood there, his eyes burning with a terrifying rage.
"Who gave you permission to enter this room?" he demanded.
His voice was dangerously low, vibrating with suppressed violence.
"I am sorry," I stammered, backing away from him.
"I just wanted to know why Leo was so afraid of this place."
Ricardo looked at the shattered frame on the floor, and a flash of raw pain crossed his face.
"That was my wife, Elena," he whispered.
"She died three years ago, shortly after Leo was born."
I finally understood why he had hired a complete stranger from a restaurant.
He did not just want a nanny for his son.
He wanted a ghost to haunt his house.
"You hired me because I look like her," I said, feeling sick to my stomach.
Ricardo stepped closer, trapping me against the dusty vanity table.
"I hired you because my son chose you," he said coldly.
"Do not ever walk into this room again."
He grabbed my arm and dragged me out into the hallway, locking the door behind us.
The next afternoon, I tried to push the disturbing truth out of my mind.
I took Leo out to the greenhouse to show him the blooming roses.
The afternoon sun was warm, and Leo was actually laughing.
Ricardo walked out to join us, looking exhausted in his tailored suit.
He actually smiled when he saw his son chasing a butterfly.
For a brief second, we looked like a normal, happy family.
Then, a deafening crack split the peaceful air.
The massive glass wall of the greenhouse exploded inward.
May you like
Ricardo dove forward and tackled me to the ground.
A sniper bullet buried itself into the dirt exactly where my head had just been.
