Grant was on a call.
Marissa entered the study first.
Ten minutes later Rosa left.
Grant later received an email from her announcing resignation.
“What happened?”
“I told Mrs. Holloway I would talk to you.”
“And?”
“She said you already knew.”
Grant felt sick.
“She showed me messages.”
“What messages?”
“From you.”
His pulse accelerated.
“What did they say?”
“That you wanted Ellie to stop using grief to control the household.”
Grant stood.
“I never wrote that.”
“I know that now.”
“What else?”
“She showed me an email saying if I undermined her discipline, you wanted me dismissed.”
“I never sent that.”
“I believed it.”
“Rosa—”
“You’re my employer.”
Her voice cracked.
“You were always traveling. Mrs. Holloway said you were tired of everyone treating her like a temporary guest.”
Grant looked toward the family room.
Ellie laughed at something Evelyn said.
The sound hurt.
“Why didn’t you call me after you left?”
“I did.”
Grant checked his phone.
“No.”
“Three times.”
“When?”
She gave dates.
Grant opened his recent calls.
Nothing.
“Did you leave voicemail?”
“Yes.”
There were none.
He understood.
Family-office phone administrator.
Shared household devices.
Marissa had access to his personal assistant systems because she coordinated their schedules.
“Did you text?”
“Yes.”
Grant searched Rosa’s name.
Their old message thread ended two months before she left.
No recent texts.
He felt colder.
“Send screenshots.”
“I will.”
“Rosa.”
“Yes?”
“Ellie thinks I want to send her to boarding school.”
Silence.
“Oh no.”
“You knew?”
“I saw a brochure.”
“Brunswick?”
“Yes.”
Grant leaned against his desk.
“She said it was for later.”
“For what?”
“Mrs. Holloway said children in families like yours often attend boarding school.”
“Did Ellie hear?”
“I don’t know.”
“What else?”
Rosa hesitated.
“She had meetings with someone.”
“Michael Trent?”
“Yes.”
Grant’s grip tightened.
“What were they doing?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rosa.”
“I really don’t.”
Then she remembered something.
“She made me print a behavior log.”
Grant stared.
“What behavior log?”
“Ellie.”
His throat tightened.
“What was on it?”
“Dates.”
“Of what?”
“Tantrums. Night waking. Food refusal. Defiance.”
Grant closed his eyes.
“Did you see the incidents?”
“Some.”
“Were they accurate?”
“No.”
His eyes opened.
“What?”
“Not all.”
Rosa continued.