I didn't intend to follow Victor.

But when he walked toward the west wing, I thought about Ethan asleep upstairs.

I thought about Serena telling me I was nothing.

I thought about nine missing pieces of video.

And I followed.

Maria came too.

Victor stopped outside Serena's suite.

The security chief stood beside him.

Victor knocked once.

Serena opened the door.

She had changed clothes.

Her makeup had been repaired.

Her suitcase was open on the bed.

"You were leaving," Victor said.

"My attorney told me I shouldn't stay somewhere I'm being treated like a criminal."

Victor held up the tablet.

"Nine camera interruptions."

Her face didn't change.

"Excuse me?"

"Nine."

He stepped inside.

"All made with your access code."

"Someone must have used it."

"In eight of those nine periods, you were alone with Ethan."

Silence.

Then Serena laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because she needed something to fill the room.

"This is insane."

Victor placed the tablet on the dresser.

"Tell me why."

"I don't know anything about it."

"Tell me why."

"Victor—"

"Why did you turn off cameras before spending time alone with my son?"

"I didn't."

"Why did you tell Daniel to blame Lily for an accident that never happened?"

Her eyes moved toward me.

That was the first mistake she made.

Victor saw it.

"You didn't know I had that message," he said.

Serena looked back at him.

"People are manipulating you."

"All of them?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because they want me out!"

Victor stared at her.

"You really believe that?"

"They've never accepted me."

"Maria barely speaks to you unless necessary."

"Exactly!"

"Daniel has worked here twelve years."

"He hates change."

"And Lily?"

Serena looked at me.

"She's in love with you."

The room went silent.

I almost laughed.

Of all the things she could have said, that was the one she chose.

Victor didn't even turn toward me.

"This has nothing to do with Lily's feelings."

"You don't know her feelings."

"I know what I heard on that recorder."

Serena's composure finally cracked.

"It was one moment."

There.

The first admission.

Victor heard it too.

"One moment?"

"I lost my patience."

"You said you didn't touch him."

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"You said Lily did it."

Serena stopped.

Victor stepped closer.

"You didn't say you made a mistake."

His voice shook now.

"You looked me in the face while my son was injured and accused an innocent woman."

"I panicked."

"You tried to destroy her."

"I was scared!"

"Of what?"

Serena's eyes filled.

"Of losing everything!"

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then she seemed to realize what she'd said.

Victor's expression changed.

"Everything?"

Serena turned away.

"I gave up my life for this relationship."

"No. You didn't."

"You have no idea what it's like coming into this house."

She pointed toward me.

"She knew Ethan better than I did. Maria knew his routines. Everyone compared me to a woman who isn't even here anymore."

Victor flinched.

I knew Serena was talking about Ethan's mother.

Victor's late wife.

Serena continued.

"I could never do anything right. If Ethan cried with me, everyone looked at me like I was failing. If he reached for Lily, I was supposed to smile. If he rejected me, I was supposed to be patient because he's a baby."

"Yes," I said.

Serena spun toward me.

"What?"

"He's a baby. You were supposed to be patient."

Her face hardened.

"You stay out of this."

"No."

For months, that word had terrified me.

No.

No, Serena.

No, you cannot speak to me that way.

No, you cannot use Victor's name to frighten me.

No, you cannot decide that a child's fear is an insult against you.

No, I will not leave him with you.

I stepped forward.

"You told me Victor didn't trust me because you wanted me quiet."

She scoffed.

"You think you're important?"

"No."

I looked at her.

"But Ethan is."

That silenced her.

"You weren't angry because he was difficult," I continued. "You were angry because he didn't perform the role you wanted."

"Lily."

Victor's voice was quiet.

But I couldn't stop anymore.

"You wanted photographs where he hugged you. You wanted him to reach for you when Victor entered the room. You wanted everyone to believe you were already his mother."

Serena's eyes burned.

"You know nothing about me."

"I know what Ethan does when he sees you."

She froze.

I hated saying it.

Because it meant admitting how obvious the truth had become.

"He gets quiet."

Serena looked away.

"He stiffens when you reach for him."

"Stop."

"He reaches for me because he's afraid."

"Stop!"

"You hurt him."

"I SAID STOP!"

Her scream filled the room.

Then silence.

Serena was breathing hard.

The elegant mask was gone.

Victor stared at her as if he'd never seen her before.

Maybe he hadn't.

Serena looked at him.

Something desperate entered her face.

"Victor..."

He stepped away from her.

That movement seemed to hurt her more than anything we'd said.

"I can fix this."

"No."

"We can postpone the wedding."

"There is no wedding."

Her face collapsed.

"You don't mean that."

"I do."

"You love me."

Victor's eyes moved toward the hallway leading back toward his son's room.

"I loved the person I thought you were."

Serena began crying.

This time, I think the tears were real.

"Please."

Victor shook his head.

"You hurt my child."

"It was never supposed to—"

He went still.

"Never supposed to what?"

Serena stopped.

Victor's voice dropped.

"Finish that sentence."

She said nothing.

"Never supposed to leave a mark?"

Silence.

"Never supposed to be recorded?"

Nothing.

"Never supposed to be discovered?"

Serena sank onto the edge of the bed.

"I just wanted him to listen to me."

Victor looked sick.

"He is fourteen months old."

"He screamed whenever you left him with me!"

"Then you comfort him."

"He wanted Lily!"

"So?"

"You don't understand!"

"No."

Victor's voice broke.

"I understand perfectly now."

Serena covered her face.

For a strange second, I felt something close to pity.

Not forgiveness.

Never that.

But I could see the shape of what had happened.

Serena had entered a family carrying expectations she couldn't control.

She wanted Ethan's affection because it represented acceptance.

When he didn't give it immediately, she experienced a baby's normal fear and attachment as rejection.

Instead of earning his trust, she demanded it.

When that failed, she punished him.

Then she hid the punishment.

And when hiding became difficult, she prepared someone else to blame.

Me.

Victor turned to his security chief.

"She's leaving tonight."

Serena stood.

"You can't throw me out like this."

"Your belongings will be delivered wherever you choose."

"We're engaged."

"Not anymore."

"Victor—"

"And every record involving Ethan is being preserved."

Fear flashed across her face.

"For what?"

"For whatever comes next."

Serena looked at me.

There was hatred in her eyes.

Pure hatred.

"This is what you wanted."

I shook my head.

"No."

"What?"

"I wanted Ethan safe."

She stared at me.

"That's the difference between us."

Serena said nothing.

Two members of security waited outside.

She walked toward the door.

Then stopped beside Victor.

"You'll regret humiliating me."

Victor didn't look at her.

"The only thing I regret is that my son was afraid in his own home and I didn't know."

Serena left.

The click of her heels faded down the corridor.

Then the front door opened.

And closed.

For the first time in months, the mansion felt quiet.

But the story wasn't over.

Because when I went upstairs to check on Ethan, Victor's security chief called after me.

"Lily."

I turned.

He held the tablet.

"We recovered part of one of the deleted camera segments."

My heart stopped.

"Which one?"

"The nursery."

Maria went pale.

"The night he cried for forty minutes?" I asked.

He nodded.

Victor came out of the study.

"Show me."

The man hesitated.

"Sir, you should know something first."

Victor stared at him.

"What?"

"The video doesn't show Serena hurting Ethan."

Relief and confusion hit me together.

Then the security chief continued.

"But it shows why Maria heard him screaming."

He turned the tablet toward us.

And pressed PLAY.

---