Chapter 1 – The Words That Changed Everything
The clicking of Victoria's heels stopped outside the nursery.
Emily's eyes filled with panic.
"Sir," she whispered. "Before she comes in... there's something you need to know."
I looked at her bloodied wrists.
"What is it?"
A tear rolled down her bruised cheek.
"The twins..."
She glanced at the children sleeping peacefully against her chest.
"They're alive because I disobeyed your wife."
My heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
Emily swallowed hard.
"This afternoon Mrs. Cole mixed sleeping pills into their bottles."
The room seemed to tilt beneath my feet.
"I saw her crush the tablets in the kitchen. When she left the room, I poured the milk away and made fresh bottles."
I stared at her.
"No..."
She nodded.
"I couldn't prove it. I didn't know why she was doing it. But I knew something was wrong."
Before I could ask another question, the nursery door opened.
Victoria smiled as though nothing unusual had happened.
"Oh, darling," she said sweetly. "You're home."
I stepped between her and the children.
"Did you drug our babies?"
The smile vanished from her face.
May you like
For the first time since we met...
She had no answer.
