로그인Pedro Hernandez Monday morning, 7:30. I'm in the kitchen with Minnie. Adie and Abby haven't come down yet. I know they're still fighting, and I'll never blame Adrielle for that. She's our daughter. I can't forgive Minnie, but after everything, maybe she has a right to be afraid too. Leonard is crazy, and I need to make sure a man like him doesn't get close to anyone else. I have a board meeting today; either way, I'll have to resolve these conflicts with Leonard and Amanda. I know they'll be there and will try something. I didn't see Helena this weekend. At my mother's house, she said she had some things to sort out. I imagine it's something about the advertising campaigns. Her agent must be trying to secure partnerships with American brands. Either way, I don't care. I know that at some point, Leonard will take advantage of her presence to provoke me. That way, he'll know I already know everything, because I have no intention of continuing to pretend. I can hear Abby's voice as s
Pedro Hernandez"Do you think she'll come back?" Abby asks, lifting her head to look at me as the turtle drifts away with the waves.I give a small smile, certain that this turtle must return at some point. I don't know what stranded her on the beach or what brought her here, but I imagine she'll return someday. Maybe her eggs are here, close to hatching, and she just came back out of maternal instinct."If she doesn't come back, maybe there will be new baby turtles hatching on the beach in a few days, dear," I answer softly, kneeling in front of her. "Can you tell me when turtle eggs hatch?"Abby ponders for a moment, her head tilted to think about it. She's an expert on this subject."Well, I heard a woman say it takes sixty days. When is that? Do you think she laid her eggs here? Can we come see when the baby turtles hatch?" Her excitement is noticeable, as is her eager smile."Yes, we can." I nod. "We'll keep an eye out, and if there's any movement, we'll go down and observe. I pr
Adrielle Hale Pedro and I walked down to the beach a few minutes ago. I wiped my face to make sure Abby wouldn't notice I was crying, but I think she's known this sight for so long that any slight change in my eyes tells her something's wrong. The sand isn't as hot as I thought. Our house provides good shade for us to walk barefoot. Pedro is quiet, with a distant look in his eyes. I know he's still thinking about the things we discussed inside, and I can't help but feel him reconsider his actions and scold himself. His fingers are intertwined with mine, a subtle hint that he doesn't want to distance himself, but his fingers aren't so attached that I couldn't let go if I wanted to. Abby and Austin are running along the water's edge while Victor takes countless photos of them with his phone. A small smile spreads across my face at how happy Abby and Austin look. That smile has never been brighter than it is now. I can clearly see how happy she is. "Hi." Abby waves to us, a wide smil
Adrielle Hale "Adie…" His blue eyes stare at me, searching for some sign that everything is okay. But I'm not okay. His arms are still around me, holding me to him as if I might slip away at any moment. And I really want to. I remain silent. The room—the environment around us—is silent, silenced by the terrifying tension gripping us. My lips tremble, and I still can't control my breathing. I can't control the tears. "Adie… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please…" His tone is subtle, light. But I hear his concern clearly in his voice. "I shouldn't yell at you; this isn't your fault." "I don't like you yelling at me, Pedro." My voice is tearful. "It makes me relive everything all over again." His hand caresses my cheek, as if trying to show that everything is okay. "Forgive me for yelling. Please." His voice is broken, as if he also realizes how it destroys me to experience this again. "I said it would be a safe love. And I will deliver." I sniff, but my arms are still trying to push h
Adrielle Hale Ross called to let me know about some meetings with other doctors on Monday morning. I can't forget about this. I'm going to drop Abby off at school and get this sorted. With everything going on, I can't forget my obligations, my responsibilities. I know Pedro shouldn't forget his either. I leave the phone on the desk in Abby's room as soon as I get back. The children are busy painting while their parents are silent. I don't know what topic they've brought up, but I imagine it's about the bad things about Leonard. My stomach churns, remembering the things we discovered. The things I saw about the children and what I learned about my own daughter. I'm constantly struggling to control my emotions. I can handle any kind of case in the hospital, but I've never learned how to manage my emotions at home. Maybe it's because the staff and the burden of responsibility are greater at the hospital, but here, at home, my responsibility is to Abby. Victor clears his throat and st
Pedro HernandezI take a deep breath and lower the brush, letting it touch my shirt and leave a white paint mark. It's not something I care much about right now. I leave the paints and brush in the case and straighten my posture. Abby has a desk in her room, and I lean against it as I watch Victor try to think of the best way for us to talk about this. The smell of the waves fills the room and, for a second, makes me wish he could take with him all the hurt we have, the stress we've been through, and all the pain we've faced."Terrible things." My voice is a whisper, muffled by the pain of having to constantly remember how he touched my daughter. "He has several victims. Children, Victor…" I lift my head to look at him.His eyes are wide, fixed on me. Victor's breath is labored, caused by the impact of my words. We both have small children. Two children. But only one of them was touched by that monster."He…?" I know what you want to ask, and I also know you don't have the strength to
Adrielle HaleJackson returned an hour later. With so many papers in his hands that even he didn't know what each one meant. My brother shuffled them all around, and we practically had to put together a puzzle. In the end, I only need to sign one of them. Jackson and his ADHD."Can you explain to m
Adrielle HaleThe doorbell rings a few minutes later. Jackson gets up and goes to answer the door. Within seconds, I see him and Pedro enter the living room. Pedro is wearing a white, short-sleeved button-down shirt. I think it's linen. His pants are tailored and well-fitted. I smell his perfume be
Adrielle HaleAbby and I head home. I see the security guards following me, but I don't see Pedro's car. After I get home, Abby runs down the stairs, excited, and into the house. She stops in front of the door, a huge smile on her face."Are we going to live here?" she asks, unable to contain her e
Adrielle HaleAbby and I headed to my parents' house. I texted my brother to meet after lunch. My mother prepared grilled salmon for Abby. Although she recognizes many sea creatures and is reluctant to eat them, Abby loves salmon, so she hasn't yet reached the point of refusing it. There are also p







