Chapter 11 - The Night Serena BrokeSerena asked to see her son at dusk.
Milo refused.
He sat on the floor of Mrs. Hargrove’s sitting room with Bobby beside him, drawing ships on hotel stationery Rowan had given him. He did not cry. That made Dalia worry more.
Children who still trusted the world cried easily.
Children like Milo measured the cost first.
Serena stood in the hall outside the room, hearing the refusal through the door. Her face folded inward.
“I deserve that,” she whispered.
Dalia did not comfort her.
Some pain deserved witnesses, not blankets.
Serena looked at her. “You hate me.”
“I don’t know you enough.”
“You know enough.”
“I know you looked me in the eye and pretended we were strangers.”
Serena nodded slowly. “Daniel told me you stole from him. That you disappeared with account codes. He said you were unstable.”
Dalia laughed once, bitter and small. “Of course he did.”
“I believed him because believing Daniel was easier than admitting he had become exactly what hurt us.”
The hallway dimmed as evening settled over the estate.
Dalia should have walked away.
Instead, she asked, “Why did you leave Milo?”
Serena flinched.
Good.
“He was safer away from me.”
“Was he?”
“No.”
The honest answer surprised them both.
Serena pressed her fingers to her mouth. “Daniel found out I had him when Milo was two. I had hidden him with a woman who worked for Mara once. Daniel said a child made me weak. Celia said it made me controllable. They were both right.”
Dalia felt anger rise again. “So you chose Rowan’s house over your son?”
“I chose the plan because Daniel told me it would free us. Give Milo a name. Money. Protection. I told myself one year away from him would buy him a lifetime.”
“How long has it been?”
Serena looked toward the closed door.
“Three years.”
Dalia said nothing.
There was nothing gentle to say.
Before Serena could speak again, Rowan appeared at the end of the hall with Nico beside him.
“We found your storage locker,” Rowan told Dalia.
Her heart jumped. “And?”
“Daniel’s men found it first.”
The floor seemed to drop.
“No.”
“They didn’t get everything,” Nico said. “You hid a second envelope inside the suitcase lining.”
Dalia stared at him.
She had forgotten.
In the panic of leaving Daniel, she had stuffed copies anywhere she could. Receipts, account printouts, a photograph of Daniel with a port official, a napkin covered in numbers from a restaurant meeting.
Nico handed her a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a small flash drive.
Dalia almost laughed from relief.
“I thought I lost it.”
Rowan’s expression did not soften, but his voice did. “You didn’t.”
Serena looked at the flash drive like it might explode.
“What’s on it?” Rowan asked.
“Daniel’s offshore routing sheets. I copied folders from his laptop one night when he forgot it unlocked.”
Nico’s eyebrows rose. “You copied criminal financial records while pregnant and on the run?”
“I didn’t know I was pregnant yet.”
“That makes it only slightly less insane.”
Rowan took the drive. “We need to know what this proves.”
Serena stepped forward. “Daniel will know you have it.”
“He already knows,” Rowan said. “That is why he hit the locker.”
A phone rang.
Not Rowan’s.
Serena’s.
She looked at the screen and turned white.
Daniel.
No one moved.
Rowan held out his hand. “Answer it.”
Serena shook her head.
“Answer it,” he repeated. “Speaker.”
With trembling fingers, she accepted the call.
Daniel’s voice filled the hallway, warm as poison.
“Hello, sister.”
Serena closed her eyes. “Daniel.”
“Is Milo comfortable?”
Her knees nearly gave out.
Rowan’s face changed.
Dalia had seen anger in men before. Loud anger. Careless anger. Daniel’s anger dressed itself as patience.
Rowan’s anger disappeared entirely.
That was worse.
Serena whispered, “What have you done?”
Daniel laughed softly. “Nothing yet. I only wanted to make sure our nephew is enjoying Rowan’s hospitality.”
“He is my son.”
“Is he? That depends who is holding the paperwork.”
Serena covered her mouth.
Dalia’s hand tightened over her stomach.
Daniel continued, “Dalia, I know you’re listening.”
Rowan looked at her.
Dalia stepped closer to the phone. “I’m here.”
“My brave girl.”
“I was never yours.”
A pause.
Then Daniel’s voice lost its warmth.
“You are carrying my child.”
“My child,” she said.
“For now.”
Bobby began growling behind the door.
Daniel heard it.
“That dog won’t save you from everyone.”
Rowan spoke at last.
“No,” he said. “I will.”
Daniel went silent.
When he answered, his voice was different.
“You always did like picking up broken things, Rowan.”
“And you always mistook cruelty for intelligence.”
Daniel laughed. “Ask your aunt how many broken things she buried before you inherited clean floors.”
Celia appeared at the far end of the hall.
No one had heard her approach.
Daniel said, “Storm comes tomorrow night. Old places flood fast.”
The call ended.
For a moment, no one breathed.
Then Milo opened the sitting room door.
His face was pale.
“He’s going to the cistern,” the boy said.
Rowan looked at Nico.
“Double security.”
Nico nodded.
Dalia stared at the dark windows.
May you like
Outside, the rain had started again.
And somewhere beyond the trees, an old stone pit was waiting.
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