The crimson recording light on Daniel’s smartphone flickered like a warning flare in the dim light of the living room.

When Daniel pushed open the door to the master suite in the upper East Wing, the room was dimly lit by a soft bedside lamp.

Mrs. Gable had placed a tray of warm milk and honey on the nightstand, but neither child had touched it. Noah and Ava were curled together under a massive velvet duvet on the center of the king-sized bed, their little bodies pressed so tightly against each other they looked like a single entity.

As the door clicked open, both children flinched, their eyes widening in sudden panic until they saw Daniel’s shadow in the doorway.

"It's just me, sweethearts," Daniel whispered softly, closing the door behind him. He removed his suit jacket, tossed his tie aside, and unbuttoned his collar, walking barefoot across the plush rug toward the bed.

He climbed onto the bed, sitting with his back against the padded headboard, opening his broad arms wide.

Noah didn't hesitate. The six-year-old scrambled across the mattress, throwing his small body into Daniel’s chest, burying his face under Daniel’s chin. Ava followed seconds later, wrapping her arms around Daniel’s waist, holding on with every ounce of strength her small frame possessed.

Daniel wrapped his strong arms around both of them, pulling the heavy duvet over their shoulders, resting his chin on top of Ava’s head.

"I'm so sorry," Daniel wept quietly, pressing kisses into their hair, his tears falling onto their foreheads. "Daddy is so, so sorry. I didn't know... I promise you, on my life, she is gone. She will never, ever come near this house again."

"Is she... is she coming back when you go to work tomorrow?" Noah whispered, his small voice trembling against Daniel’s neck.

"I'm not going to work tomorrow," Daniel said with absolute certainty. "I'm not going to work next week, or next month. I'm staying right here with you. Every single day."

Ava looked up, her amber eyes swimming with tears. "Promise, Daddy?"

"I promise," Daniel whispered, holding them tighter. "Nothing in this world is more important than my baby girl and my little boy. Nothing."

Within twenty minutes, exhausted from hours of terror and crying, both children fell into a deep, peaceful sleep against Daniel’s chest. Daniel didn't close his eyes. He lay awake in the dark, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of their small shoulders, his heart hardening into an iron vault.