Chapter 3 - Whispers in the Snow
"Miles is staying under observation until tomorrow morning," Dr. Keene said without flinching. "Hospital policy for infants involved in high-impact trauma falls."
Bennett’s jaw twitched. For a fraction of a second, the mask of the doting, aristocratic husband slipped, revealing the ruthless shark underneath. He stepped closer to my bed, lowering his voice into a velvet threat. "Mara. You are going to sign the discharge papers for both you and Miles. We don't air our laundry in public hospitals. Mother has already arranged for a private pediatrician to visit the estate in the morning."
"I am not going back to that house," I whispered.
"You don't have a choice," Bennett murmured, leaning down so his lips brushed my ear. To any passerby, it looked like an affectionate embrace. "Everything you have is tied to my name. Your car, your credit cards, the roof over our son's head. You make a scene now, and by morning, Child Protective Services will have a statement from me and my mother detailing your erratic, paranoid behavior over the past three months. Do you really want to lose custody of Miles before he even cuts his first tooth?"
My heart slammed against my ribs like a caged bird. He wasn't just defending his mother; he was in on it. They were working as a unit, just as they had against Audrey.
"Let me hold my baby," I said, choking back the bile in my throat.
Bennett straightened up, buttoning his coat. "The nurse will bring him in. I’ll go speak to administrative billing. Pack your things."
The moment Bennett stepped out of the room, Dr. Keene turned to me. He pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket and pressed it into my uninjured left palm.
"What is this?" I asked.
"An address in Lancaster County," Dr. Keene said rapidly, keeping his voice beneath a whisper. "Audrey lives under her maiden name, Audrey Vance. She survived them, Mara. If you go back to that house tonight, you are walking into an ambush. But if you run without evidence, Bennett will use the legal system to strip you of that child by noon."
"What do I do?" Tears burned behind my eyes. "He controls the money. He controls the police."
"Play the part," Dr. Keene urged, his eyes fierce. "Act compliant. Let them think their threats worked. But the moment you are back inside that house, find Audrey’s old diaries. Vivienne keeps an archive in the east wing library. Everything Vivienne does to protect the family trust is documented. Find what happened to the second woman."
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I grabbed his arm. "You said there were three. Who was number two?"
Before Dr. Keene could answer, the nurse pushed Miles’s crib into the room, followed immediately by Bennett’s sharp footsteps echoing in the corridor.
