“She is lying, sir,” Mrs. Higgins said, shaking her head. “She has been acting strange for days. Creeping around the nursery. Changing the boy’s diet without your permission.”

Matteo stepped closer to me, his presence filling the small room.

He looked down at my hands.

They were shaking slightly, but I forced them to stay still at my sides.

“You don’t need a thief in this house, Matteo,” a new voice said.

Silvio DeLuca stood in the doorway, blocking the exit.

He was wearing a gray silk suit, an unlit cigar held between his fingers.

“The girl has to go,” Silvio said. “We cannot have untrustworthy people around Leo.”

Matteo did not look at his uncle.

He kept his eyes locked on mine.

“Why would you take this, Cameron?” Matteo asked, his voice low.

“I wouldn’t,” I said. “I don’t care about gold. I care about your son.”

Matteo stood silent for a long moment, the silence stretching until it felt ready to snap.

“She is a maid, Matteo,” Silvio insisted, taking a step into the room. “They all steal eventually. Fire her and let’s move on.”