Grace Thompson stood frozen in the doorway of the nursery.
The room looked like something out of Architectural Digest — ivory walls, imported blackout curtains, a custom Italian crib, and a handwoven rug so soft Grace still removed her shoes out of habit. The air smelled like baby powder, fresh lilies… and money.
And in the middle of all that luxury, Ethan was trembling.
His mother, Victoria Reynolds-Miller, had just walked in — flawless at nine in the morning, dressed in a pearl silk lounge set, hair perfectly styled. On Instagram, she was a lifestyle influencer with half a million followers. Warm filters. Organic baby food recipes. “Real mom life” videos that were anything but real.
“Shhh, sweetheart… Mommy’s here,” Victoria cooed, stepping toward the crib.
Ethan clutched his honey-colored German mohair teddy bear — an expensive collector’s piece he never let go of. It was his anchor. His refuge.
Grace had noticed the pattern during her first week working at the Millers’ mansion in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
With his father, Jonathan Miller, Ethan giggled. Kicked his legs. Babbling happily. With Grace or the housekeeper, he was calm.
But with Victoria?