He placed a cold cloth on Laura’s hand.
“If you feel this,” she whispered, “focus on it.”
Laura felt it.
A tear slid down the corner of her eye.
Isabella froze.
From that moment on, everything changed quietly.
Isabella documented micro-responses. Eye moisture. Changes in heart rate when Laura’s name was spoken. She called a neurologist after hours. She kept copies of everything.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Helen became bolder.
On the eighth day, Laura heard security escorting someone out.
“He’s his father,” Ethan said later, annoyed. “He made a huge scene.”
Richard Whitman had arrived after receiving a delayed email that Laura had scheduled months earlier; it would be sent automatically if she didn’t log in within 48 hours of her due date. It included passwords, camera access, and a single line:
If anything happens to me, don’t trust Ethan.
Richard was denied entry. He was later arrested for trespassing when he refused to leave.
But Richard did not stop.
Outside the hospital, he hired a private investigator. Inside, Isabella provided him with information through an encrypted app.
