Chapter 9 - Whispers in the Dark
Daniel looked up, his eyes red and bloodshot, confused by my serious tone.
I asked Marcus to step inside and lock the hospital room door.
“What is going on?” Daniel asked, looking between Marcus and me.
“Your mother and sister told you I fell,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “They told the police my phone must have shattered when I hit the ground.”
“Yes,” Daniel said. “They’ve been at the hospital every day waiting for you to wake up.”
I handed him the tablet.
“Press play.”
I watched my husband’s world shatter in real-time.
He watched the footage of his sister assaulting his pregnant wife. He watched her try to steal the money he had worked so hard to save for his children.
But the most devastating blow was hearing his own mother’s voice.
“If she loses the babies, Daniel’s ties to her are severed... We weren't here, Vanessa.”
Daniel dropped the tablet onto the bed. He couldn't breathe. He stumbled back against the wall, clutching his chest as a primal, agonizing sob ripped from his throat.
“No,” he gasped. “No, they couldn't... they left you... they left my babies...”
“They left us to die, Daniel,” I said, tears finally falling down my own cheeks. “And they did it because they are completely bankrupt and facing embezzlement charges.”
Marcus handed Daniel the financial dossier.
Daniel stared at the undeniable proof of his family’s absolute rot.
When he finally looked back at me, the devastation in his eyes had been replaced by a cold, terrifying fury.
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“What do we do?” he asked quietly.
“We let them think they won,” I replied.
