Chapter 10 - Maya’s guilt
Maya Bennett had been Liora’s nanny for four years.
She loved her.
I believed that.
She also missed signs.
At two events, Seraphine told Maya:
“Liora is resting in the bridal room.”
Maya accepted.
Why?
Because Seraphine was my fiancée.
Future wife.
Future household authority.
At the fourth event, Maya went to check.
Seraphine said:
“She finally fell asleep. Don’t wake her.”
Maya did not enter.
Later she told investigators:
“I thought I was respecting a parent figure.”
There.
Authority assumed instead of defined.
I had never clearly told staff what Seraphine could or could not decide regarding Liora.
She had gradually become:
Almost stepmother.
Almost spouse.
Almost authority.
Almost is dangerous.
Afterward, Maya cried in my office.
“I should have opened the door.”
“Yes.”
She looked shocked.
I continued:
“But I’m the one who created ambiguity about who had authority.”
“Evander—”
“No. Your silence is yours. The structure is mine.”
Different responsibilities.
Maya remained employed.
With clearer rules.
Not because nothing happened.
May you like
Because failure and malice are not the same category.
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