The Mafia Boss’s Twins Screamed Every Night at Three—Until the Maid Tore Open Their Teddy Bear and Exposed the Family Member Behind It

Back at the Hamptons estate, the storm raged outside, rattling the heavy windowpanes.

Inside the nursery, Lily and Rose were sleeping soundly, their breathing slow and rhythmic. Standing beside their beds was not Rory, and not Marcus.

It was a tall figure dressed in dark clothing, wearing a stealth tactical mask, slipping silently through the shadows toward the children.

Veronica Cruz stood frozen in the doorway of the adjoining hallway, holding a heavy cast-iron skillet she had grabbed from the kitchen. She had heard the subtle click of the rear French doors unlocking downstairs—a sound only someone familiar with the house layout would make.

The intruder didn't notice her at first. He reached into his coat, pulling out a small syringe filled with a clear sedative liquid, stepping closer to Lily's bed.

"Step away from the children," Veronica said, her voice cutting through the dark room with absolute authority.

The intruder whirled around, a tactical knife gleaming in his hand. He lunged forward with terrifying speed, aiming straight for her chest.

Veronica didn't flinch. Drawing on instincts she had kept hidden since her days growing up in the rough industrial districts before entering nursing school, she ducked under the blade's arc. With a vicious swing, she brought the heavy cast-iron skillet down directly across the intruder's wrist.

A sickening crunch echoed through the room as the knife clattered to the floor.

Before the man could recover, Veronica spun on her heel and drove her elbow upward into his jaw, sending him crashing backward against the bookshelf. Books, toys, and porcelain figurines rained down around him.

She pinned him to the floor, pressing her knee into his chest and snatching his tactical mask off.

In the dim night-light glow, Veronica stared down into the terrified, bruised face of one of Rory's senior estate guards—a man named Thomas who had worked for the family for five years.

"Why?" Veronica demanded, pressing her forearm against his throat.