Chapter 3 - The Empty Nursery
I returned to the mansion just before midnight.
The house was eerily quiet, stripped of the beeping monitors and oxygen tanks that used to fill Lily’s room.
I sat on the edge of her small, empty bed.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, heavy and impatient.
Adrian leaned against the doorframe, still wearing his tuxedo.
“Are you done with your little tantrum?” he asked, loosening his tie.
I didn’t look up. “Lily is dead, Adrian.”
“You think I don’t care?” he snapped, stepping into the room. “But life moves on, Vivian. I have a company to run.”
“You have a party to host,” I corrected softly.
He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Celeste was very upset by your behavior tonight. You owe her an apology.”
I slowly turned my head to look at him.
He was standing in our dead child’s room, demanding I apologize to his mistress.
“I’ll be sure to send her something,” I said, standing up.
“Good. Now, we need to talk about finances,” Adrian sighed, checking his diamond watch.
“Since the medical bills are finally done, I’m cutting your monthly allowance in half.”
I almost laughed.
“Is that what Marisol advised?” I asked.
“Marisol is a genius at cost-cutting,” Adrian smirked. “She saved the company a fortune this quarter.”
He had no idea.
He truly had no idea that the money he saved was the price of his daughter’s life.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, walking past him into the hallway.
May you like
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“To sleep,” I replied without looking back. “Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.”
