a.The Billionaire Don Hired a Nanny to Keep His Son Silent—Then She Slapped Him in His Own Mansion, and the Boy’s First Words Buried the Brother Who Killed His Mother

The words hung in the air like a death sentence.

Julian’s face went from flushed to an ash-gray color so quickly it looked like he had been struck by a physical illness. The leather bag slipped from his shoulder, hitting the marble floor with a heavy thud.

"Noah," Julian gasped, his voice a pathetic, wheezing sound. "You... you don't know what you're talking about. You were asleep. You were in the back seat."

"I was not asleep," Noah said. He was no longer shaking. He stood with his head held high, his small hand holding Claire’s fingers with a grip that was surprisingly strong. "You had the metal bar. You hit the wheel. Mommy was crying. She said, 'Please, Julian, don't do this.' But you pushed her."

"Shut up!" Julian screamed, his pale blue eyes wide with a manic, wild panic. He lunged forward, his hand reaching for Noah's arm. "You little liar! Shut up!"

Claire reacted instantly.

She stepped in front of Noah, her arm extended, her palm striking Julian’s chest with enough force to send him stumbling back against the wall.

"Do not touch him," she roared, her voice echoing through the entire mansion.

"He's a child!" Julian yelled, his hand finally coming out of his pocket, holding a small, silver-plated derringer pistol. His eyes were wild, red-rimmed, and entirely insane. "He doesn't know anything! Nobody will believe him! My father built this city! I am a Kincaid!"

"And so is he," a voice said from the bottom of the staircase.

Julian’s head snapped down.

Dominic stood in the foyer.

He was wet from the rain, his black coat dripping onto the marble, but his face was a mask of cold, unmitigated death. Behind him stood Miles Archer and four other security guards, their weapons already raised and pointed at Julian’s chest.

"Dom," Julian whispered, the small gun trembling in his hand. "Dom, he's lying. The kid is crazy. He's been silent for two years, and now he's just... he's making things up because of the nanny. She’s poisoning him against me."

"I never went to Gary, Julian," Dominic said, his voice so quiet it was barely audible, yet it filled every corner of the room. "The key I showed you last night was a duplicate. The documents from Miranda’s safe have been in my office since yesterday morning."

He began to ascend the stairs, his footsteps slow, heavy, and deliberate.

"She knew everything, Julian," Dominic said, his winter-blue eyes fixed on his brother’s face. "She knew about the steel. She knew about MJ Logistics. She was going to the police that night because she knew I wouldn't let you slide if I found out myself. She wanted to save you from me."

"Dom..."

"But you couldn't let her do that, could you?" Dominic said, stopping three steps below his brother. "You thought if she was gone, the secrets would die with her. You didn't know Noah was in the car. You didn't know he saw you hit the axle with the tire iron before she could get out of the barrier."

"I didn't mean to!" Julian screamed, tears finally spilling over his pale cheeks. "The brakes were supposed to fail! She was just supposed to have a small crash! A warning! I didn't know she would go over the side!"