Chapter 5
She stood there for a heartbeat, measuring the room, then turned on her heel. She knew she had lost this round. She didn’t like scenes, and she had run out of leverage.
“You have no idea what you’ve just done,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “You think you’ve protected her? You’ve only made it more difficult. When you’re ready to stop playing pretend, when you realize that money is the only thing that truly protects the people you love… you’ll know where to find me.”
She walked out, and the sound of her sedan’s engine fading away was a low growl. I carried Elodie into the living room and set her on the sofa. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Did you swallow any of it?”
“I… I don’t think so,” she whispered. “She was so strong, Declan.”
“I’m here,” I said, rubbing her knuckles. “She won’t come back. I promise you.”
“She knew when you would be out,” Elodie said. “How did she know?”
A cold realization washed over me. She had been tracking us. I stood up and pulled back the curtain an inch. The street was empty, but I didn't see safety anymore. I saw every potential angle for a private investigator.
“I’m going to take you to the clinic,” I said. “I want them to check you, and I want them to look at this.”
“No,” Elodie said, fierce. “No, Declan. If we go to the hospital, we have to file a report. If we involve the police, the media will find out. The Mercers own the news, they own the lawyers. She’ll just turn it around. She’ll paint me as the hysterical wife, and she’ll take the baby.”
I hated that she was right. “Then we’ll go to a private doctor. Dr. Aris. He’s old-school; he doesn’t work for the family. We tell him we found this, and we make sure you and the baby are safe. But I am not keeping this a secret.”
Elodie nodded. We didn't talk as we moved through the house. The air felt heavy, charged with the ghost of the confrontation. Every shadow seemed to hold a threat. The drive to the clinic was a blur. I kept checking the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see that black sedan stalking us. Every car that followed us made my heart hammer.
Dr. Aris’s office was in a quiet, older part of town. When we walked in, he looked up from his chart and smiled, but the smile faded when he saw our faces.
May you like
“Declan? Elodie?” he said. “What’s wrong?”
I walked over to his desk and placed the amber bottle on the blotter. “My mother came to our house today. She forced this on Elodie. I want to know exactly what it is.”
