1.No Nanny Survived Dinner With His Quadruplets—Until a Broke Stranger Took Charge...

The arrival of Lily Bennett at the Hale mansion changed the dynamic of the house overnight.

Lily was a quiet, observant girl with her mother’s stubborn green eyes and a wild imagination. While the quadruplets were used to tearing down walls and defying authority, Lily was used to quiet spaces, books, and drawing.

On her first morning, Clara set five plates of blueberry pancakes on the kitchen island.

Mason, the self-appointed leader of the boys, stared at Lily with deep suspicion. "Why is she here? This is our house."

"Actually, Mason," Lily said, cutting her pancake with perfect precision, "it's your dad's house. And my mom is the boss of this kitchen. So legally, we have equal rights to the syrup."

Cole gasped, dropping his fork. "She said legally! She’s a lawyer!"

"She’s seven, Cole," Ryder groaned, though he looked highly amused.

Theo sat next to Lily, quietly pushing a blueberry toward her plate. "Do you like dragons?" he asked in a small voice.

"I draw them," Lily replied, not looking up. "The blue ones are the most dangerous because their fire is hotter."

Theo’s eyes lit up. A silent treaty had been signed.

However, the peace inside the mansion didn't extend to the prestigious Lake Forest Academy, where the children were enrolled. On Friday afternoon, Clara arrived to pick them up in one of Victor’s armored SUVs, driven by a silent security guard named Marcus.

As the children ran toward the car, Clara noticed Cole’s face was bruised, and Mason’s school uniform was torn.

"What happened?" Clara demanded, kneeling in the grass as the kids gathered around her.

"Some big kids in the third grade said our dad is a criminal," Ryder said, his voice shaking with anger. "They said he’s going to jail and we’re going to be orphans."

"And they pushed Theo," Cole growled, his knuckles white. "So I punched them. Twice."

Clara’s heart sank. Vance’s attacks weren't just physical; they were psychological, targeting the children at their school to pressure Victor.

A sleek black town car pulled up nearby, and a tall, elegant woman in an expensive cashmere coat stepped out. It was Genevieve Vance, Marcus Vance’s sister and the social queen of the school’s board.

"Ah, the new nanny," Genevieve said, her voice dripping with condescension as she walked toward Clara. "I see the Hale boys are up to their usual violent antics. I’ve already spoken to the headmaster. A formal request for their suspension has been filed. We can't have unstable elements disrupting our children’s education."

Clara stood up, smoothing her simple cotton skirt. She felt the eyes of the other wealthy parents on her. They expected her to cower, to apologize, or to stay silent.

"Mrs. Vance," Clara said, her voice echoing clearly across the parking lot. "I’m sure the headmaster will be very interested to review the security footage. Specifically, the part where your third-grade son and his friends cornered a six-year-old boy behind the gymnasium and repeated slanderous statements they clearly overheard from their parents’ private conversations."

Genevieve’s smile faltered. "Excuse me?"

"If those boys are suspended, I will personally ensure that a defamation and harassment suit is filed against your family, using Victor Hale’s legal team," Clara continued, stepping closer, her green eyes flashing. "And trust me, Mrs. Vance, Victor Hale does not lose in court. I suggest you teach your children some manners before my six-year-olds have to teach them again."

Genevieve turned on her heel and marched back to her car without a word.