Chapter 20 - The Painted Smile
Three months later.
The sun shone brightly over a quiet, secluded coastal cottage hundreds of miles away from the city.
Clara sat on the wooden porch, watching Toby and Leo play safely in the green grass.
Julianne walked out from the kitchen, handing Clara a warm cup of coffee with a gentle smile.
"They're finally sleeping through the night without any nightmares," Julianne said softly.
"They feel safe here with you, Clara."
"They are safe," Clara replied, taking a sip of the warm coffee.
Her phone buzzed on the small wooden table beside her chair.
It was a text message from an unknown, untraceable number.
Clara picked up the phone and opened the attached high-resolution image file.
Her breath hitched in her throat, her blood running completely ice-cold in an instant.
It was a live, high-definition photograph of her sitting on that exact porch at that exact second.
Below the photo, a single line of text was written in cold, terrifying detail.
"Nanny number six, you forgot to check behind the frame."
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Clara slowly raised her eyes to look out at the dense tree line surrounding the cottage.
Deep within the dark shadows of the forest, a familiar figure in a dark blue suit stood silently, watching her through a pair of binoculars.
