Chapter 1 - What Travis SawMilo was crawling toward the staircase when Adrienne saw him.
The one-year-old boy moved slowly across the polished second-floor hallway, his small hands pressing against the hardwood floor.
Downstairs, Adrienne lay comfortably on the cream-colored sofa.
The sofa directly faced the grand staircase.
She had a perfect view.
“Milo,” she murmured.
She did not stand.
Milo reached the first stair.
His hand slipped.
His body tipped forward.
Then he fell.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
His tiny body rolled down several carpeted steps before landing at the bottom.
For one terrible second, there was silence.
Then Milo screamed.
Adrienne frowned.
“Lucia!”
No answer.
Milo cried harder.
“Lucia! Come pick him up!”
Still nothing.
Adrienne sighed as though someone had interrupted her afternoon.
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
She stood.
By the time she reached Milo, his face was red from crying.
Adrienne lifted him awkwardly.
“Don’t crawl around like that again.”
He screamed louder.
Then footsteps thundered upstairs.
“MILO!”
Kelsey appeared.
Her face went white.
She rushed down the staircase so quickly she nearly slipped.
“What happened?”
Adrienne held Milo out.
“He fell.”
Kelsey ripped him into her arms.
“My baby.”
Milo immediately clung to her.
His fists twisted into the fabric of her shirt.
Kelsey checked his head.
His arms.
His legs.
No blood.
No obvious injury.
But he was terrified.
She kissed his forehead repeatedly.
“You’re okay. Mommy’s here.”
Then she looked at Adrienne.
“You saw him?”
Adrienne shrugged.
“I was sitting right there.”
Kelsey stared.
“You watched him fall?”
“I called Lucia.”
Kelsey froze.
“What?”
“I called the maid.”
“You called the maid?”
“She didn’t answer.”
“And you stayed on the sofa?”
Adrienne’s expression hardened.
“I got up eventually.”
Kelsey’s face changed.
Shock became fury.
“He’s one year old!”
“Lower your voice.”
“How could you just sit there?”
Adrienne rolled her eyes.
“Kelsey, babies fall.”
The slap came before Kelsey thought.
Her palm struck Adrienne’s cheek.
Adrienne gasped.
“You’re cruel!”
She held Milo tighter.
“How could you be that heartless?”
Adrienne stared at her.
“Oh my God.”
The front door opened.
“Kelsey!”
Kelsey turned.
Travis stood in the doorway.
He had come home from a meeting early.
All he saw was his wife holding their screaming son.
Adrienne clutching her cheek.
And the red mark across his sister’s face.
His expression hardened instantly.
“What are you doing to my sister?”
Kelsey stared at him.
“Travis—”
He walked forward.
“Give me Milo.”
“No.”
His eyes flashed.
“What?”
“No.”
Adrienne began crying.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
“Travis, it’s okay.”
Kelsey looked at her in disbelief.
Adrienne continued:
“She was upset.”
“You—”
Travis stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Kelsey looked at her husband.
“He fell down the stairs.”
Travis immediately looked at Milo.
“What?”
“He fell because she sat there watching him.”
Adrienne shook her head.
“That’s not what happened.”
Kelsey’s heart stopped.
“What?”
“I saw him too late.”
“You said you were sitting right there!”
“I was on my phone.”
“You called Lucia before you got up!”
Travis looked between them.
“Kelsey, stop.”
“Stop?”
“You just hit my sister.”
“Because she let our baby—”
“I said stop!”
Milo flinched.
His crying intensified.
Kelsey stared at Travis.
That was the moment something inside her changed.
Not because he disagreed with her.
Because he had already chosen.
He had not asked what happened.
He had seen Adrienne’s red cheek and decided Kelsey was the danger.
Adrienne lowered her eyes.
Then Kelsey noticed something.
A tiny black camera mounted high above the foyer.
The interior security camera.
She looked at it.
Then at Adrienne.
Adrienne followed her gaze.
For the first time, fear entered her face.
Kelsey whispered:
“Travis.”
He looked at her.
May you like
“Check the camera.”
Adrienne went completely still.
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