But standing inside my own luxurious estate, surrounded by polished marble, expensive flowers, and the smell of fresh coffee, I had never felt so powerless in my entire life.
Vivian stepped closer and rested a hand lightly against my arm.
“Please don’t make this ugly in front of the children,” she whispered softly. “That woman betrayed our family. She deserves consequences.”
Maybe those words should have sounded reasonable.
But then I looked at Ethan.
My son wasn’t only frightened of the officers.
There was something much darker inside his expression. A level of terror no child should ever know. Almost as if Ethan understood that the real danger in the house wasn’t leaving through the front door.
It was staying behind.
When the officers finally escorted Maya toward the entrance, Caleb ran after them crying so hard his voice cracked apart.
Ethan didn’t follow.
He remained completely still in the center of the room, his fists tight at his sides, staring silently at his mother.
Vivian looked back at him.
