Lincoln’s POV
The silence that followed Archie’s voice through the ajar study door felt like a bucket of ice water dumped straight down my spine.
A full-time residential governess.
Private boarding school applications.
Transition out of this situation before the end of the month.
The words bounced around inside my head, cold, sharp, and ugly. After the endless patience, after earning the twins' trust, after holding Evan through half the night while his fever raged, Archie was already dialing agencies behind my back. I was just another disposable line item on a corporate spreadsheet, ready to be quietly replaced.
The hurt flared instantly into white-hot anger. I didn't knock. I didn't bother maintaining the polite, obedient distance an employee was supposed to keep.
I shoved the heav
