110. Sofia's lies.

Elena.

I slowly opened the door to Diego's room and peered inside. The room was dark, except for a small night light on his bedside table. I tiptoed closer to his bed and saw that he was sound asleep. His tiny chest was rising and falling with each breath, and his hair was tousled around his face. I smiled softly and sat down next to him on the bed.

I watched him for a few minutes, feeling a wave of affection for him wash over me. I couldn't believe how quickly he was growing up. It felt like only yesterday that I came in here as his nanny and he did not like me at all, and now he was so attached to me and even I feel like he is one of the best things I have ever gotten in my life.

While I sat beside Diego, I gently ran my fingers through his hair, relishing its soft and silky texture. However, my tranquil moment was abruptly interrupted when he began thrashing and mumbling in his sleep. Concerned, I withdrew my hand and leaned back, observing him intently.

In an instant, Diego's eyes flew open, and he jolted upright in bed. His gaze darted around the room, filled with disorientation and confusion. But when his eyes landed on me, terror seized him, and he emitted a bone-chilling scream.

"Stop, Diego, it's me! It's Elena! Please, calm down," I pleaded, attempting to soothe him. Yet, it seemed as though he couldn't hear my words. He recoiled, scrambling backwards on the bed, fear etched across his face.

"Stay away from me!" he shrieked. "I don't want you to touch me! You're evil!"

My heart sank, bewildered by the sudden transformation in my sweet little boy. Just hours ago, he had been affectionate and attached to me. And now, he stared at me wide-eyed and terrified, as if I were some sort of monster. I couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Calm down, Diego. It was just a nightmare. Can you see me clearly now?" I implored, while desperately trying to maintain my own composure. I wanted to believe that he was simply caught in the grip of a bad dream, and that was the cause of his defensive and fearful reaction.

"Go away! Go away, Ms. Elena! I don't want to see you. You're a fake friend! Leave me alone!" He continued to thrash and utter words that pierced my heart. I still had no clue what had triggered such a response, but I knew I had to retreat. Slowly, I stood up and took a cautious step back toward the door, keeping a vigilant eye on Diego.

"Diego, it's alright," I murmured gently. "I'll give you some space."

With a heavy heart, I turned to exit the room, but his screams and cries persisted. I closed the door softly behind me, a mix of confusion and sorrow flooding my being. This was an unprecedented reaction from Diego, and I couldn't help but feel bewildered by the whole ordeal.

I walked slowly down the hallway, feeling lost and unsure of what to do. It hurt to think that Diego was scared of me, and I didn't know how to make it better. I decided to talk to Deangelo about it in the morning, hoping that he might have some insight into what was going on with his son. As I made my way to my own room, I couldn't help but feel dejected. I had always thought that I had a good relationship with Diego, but now I wasn't so sure. I sat on my bed and tried to push the image of Diego's scared face out of my mind, hoping that tomorrow would bring some answers but then I decided that I needed to see Mia first too, who knows maybe she had an insight that their father might not even have.

So I walked out of my room and down the stairs towards Mia's room, hoping to find some answers from the day's events and also talk to Mia about her day while at it. Immediately I entered the room, Mia quickly dropped her phone and her attitude towards me was also off. I felt a wave of confusion and concern wash over me.

"Uh, hey Mia, is everything okay?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

Mia hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Ms. Sofia told me something about you, Elena. She said that you were the reason why our grandfather left, and that you might try to convince dad to send Diego away and even me too, that you are not what it seems like to us and you are just a pretender who actually hates us."

I was stunned. Sofia had been trying to manipulate the children against me? And now it seemed like she was getting to Mia as well

"That's not in any way true, Mia. I would never do something like that," I said firmly, trying to reassure her.

Mia nodded slowly, "I know that, Elena. But why would Ms. Sofia say something like that?"

I shook my head, feeling angry and frustrated. "I don't know, Mia. Sofia has been acting strange lately. She has been trying to be friends with me, prodding me for things about my past and my life, and sometimes, she will be mean to me despite acting like she is my friend. She never liked me from day one but I thought that changed since she returned since she asked for my forgiveness and all that but now, she is going to you and telling lies about me? I don’t even understand what I have ever done to deserve all of this from her, it makes absolutely no sense to me.”

Mia looked at me sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Elena. I don't believe what she said. I know you care about us and would never try to hurt our family."

I smiled gratefully, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. It was good to know that at least one of the children still trusted me.

After a few more minutes of talking with Mia, I decide to leave her to her phone. As I walked out of her room, I began to piece together the events of the day. It all made sense now. Sofia's lies have poisoned Diego's mind against me, and now she was trying to do the same with Mia. I realized that I needed to confront Sofia and put a stop to her manipulations.