Chapter 6 - THE NANNY LOG
The restored log contained more than Dominic expected.
Months of ordinary life.
7:12 a.m. — oatmeal, banana.
9:04 — nap.
10:27 — walk.
12:10 — refused peas. Ate yogurt.
2:33 — laughed at vacuum.
Then patterns.
Luca became distressed following transfer to Bianca. Settled after 18 minutes.
Bianca requested no afternoon nap due dinner plans. Advised routine should remain consistent.
Luca cried when perfume sprayed nearby. Moved to playroom.
None were accusations.
That made them stronger.
Talia had not built a case.
She had built continuity.
Dominic read six months.
Bianca read over his shoulder.
“This is obsessive.”
He turned.
“What?”
“She wrote everything.”
“That was her job.”
“She was tracking me.”
“Some entries mention me.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Bianca had no answer she could say aloud.
Dominic returned to the screen.
One note:
Ms. Bianca asked that I stop recording routine distress because it “makes her look bad.” I explained logs are intended for continuity, not evaluation.
Dominic went still.
“When did this happen?”
Bianca looked at the date.
“I don't remember.”
“Talia remembered.”
“Of course she did.”
The contempt was automatic.
Dominic noticed.
“You dislike her.”
“Yes.”
Finally.
“Why?”
“Because she judges me.”
“Did she?”
“All the time.”
“Give me an example.”
Bianca hesitated.
“She corrected how I held him.”
“Was she right?”
“That isn't the point.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“It might be.”
Bianca stood.
“You know what this is really about?”
“No.”
“She wants to be indispensable.”
Dominic watched.
“She knows Luca depends on her, and she encourages it.”
“Evidence?”
Bianca laughed.
“Look at him.”
Luca was asleep upstairs.
Dominic understood her meaning anyway.
“He prefers her.”
“Yes.”
“And that makes you angry.”
“It makes me concerned.”
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“You said angry.”
“I didn't.”
“You didn't have to.”
Bianca’s face hardened.
“You think I’m jealous of a nanny.”
“I think you keep describing attachment as competition.”
Silence.
Dominic closed the laptop.
The next day, his attorney Serena Conti—not to be confused with the agency director Serena Walsh; Dominic hated duplicate names and internally referred to the lawyer as Ms. Conti—reviewed the estate plan.
“Why are we looking at this?”
“Bianca asked questions about Luca.”
“What questions?”
“Access. Guardianship. Care authority.”
Conti pulled emails.
Bianca had indeed contacted the estate office twice.
Not suspicious by itself.
An engaged partner asking about a child’s future could be responsible.
But one email stood out:
If Dominic and I marry, would I automatically become Luca’s guardian if something happened to Dominic?
Conti replied at the time:
No. A court determines guardianship based on the child’s best interests, although Dominic can nominate a preferred guardian in his estate plan.
Bianca’s follow-up:
Could the nanny challenge that?
Conti had answered:
A nanny would not ordinarily have priority based solely on employment, though longstanding caregiving relationships could be relevant depending on circumstances.
Dominic stared.
“When was this?”
“Two months ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Conti looked offended.
“You were copied.”
He checked.
He had been.
He never read it.
His assistant filed it under estate administration.
Dominic leaned back.
Another missed signal.
“Did Bianca ask about trust control?”
“Yes.”
Conti showed the next email.
If named guardian, would I manage Luca’s trust?
Answer:
Not automatically. Trustee and guardian roles are separate.
Bianca then asked:
Who decides caregiver employment if Dominic is unavailable?
Conti remembered thinking she was planning seriously for marriage.
Now the questions looked different.
Not proof.
Context.
Dominic closed the file.
“Do not change anything in my estate plan.”
“I wouldn’t without you.”
“And if Bianca calls?”
“I document.”
Conti studied him.
“Are you canceling the wedding?”
“Not yet.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Dominic looked toward the window.
“I want facts before consequences.”
For the first time in his life, Dominic Rinaldi was forcing himself to move slower than his anger.
It felt unnatural.
May you like
It was also the only reason Bianca still had a chance to tell the truth.
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