LOGIN[Alice’s POV]I left the front door unlocked because I was expecting Adam home soon.“Can we make some pancakes?” Camilla asked.“That’s a good idea,” I said as we headed into the kitchen.I had put Harry in his crib out on the balcony off the dining room, to have his nap. Camilla and I had been playing with him and he took his bottle before starting to fall asleep. I thought some fresh air on the balcony would be good for him.In the kitchen, there was a CCTV screen mounted high on the wall. Part of our security system that monitored the exterior of the house, 24/7, and entry areas inside the house. It was a comforting setup without being too intrusive.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement as someone approached the front door.Good, Adam’s home, I thought. But something made me take a second look.The figure approaching the door was smaller than Adam, and dressed in black. I didn’t recognize the person.And in one hand he held a firearm.A shaft of fear lanced through my gut.
[Adam’s POV]I drove home with some good news to share with Alice.It’s Saturday, the nanny’s day off, and Alice is spending the day with the children. While she loves being with them, I’m keen to get home to help her with the baby, in case she needs a rest.I turned into our driveway and found the gates swinging open.Alarm surged through me – they’re supposed to be closed and locked at all times!I stopped the car, leapt out and headed into the guard house, prepared to deal with Reuben, the guard on duty this afternoon. This is a serious breach of his terms of employment.When I barged into the little gatehouse, I was met with a disturbing silence. Reuben wasn’t at the desk.That was when I saw the trail of blood seeping along the floor!“Reuben!” I called.I raced around the desk and found his body sprawled on the floor. His head was lying in a pool of fresh blood. There was a bloodied wound streaked along one side of his head. To the average onlooker, the man looked deceased.I le
[David’s POV]As I drove away from Alice’s new house, I found myself deep in thought.I had gone there today to demand access to my baby, but of her own volition she had generously shared him with me.Holding my new son in my arms, that little speck of life, I felt an overwhelming sense of devotion. I would do anything for him.But the thought of him calling another man, Daddy, saw raw fury surge back into my heart.Still, I bit back the bitterness that threatened to choke me and admitted to myself, very quietly, that if my boy called another man Daddy, at least that man was Adam Ballard. There was no better person alive that I would want, to commit their care and devotion to raising him, than Adam.As I held my son, kicking his little feet and waving a doll sized arm at me, Alice smiled at the pair of us.She said very softly, “That is the person you tried so hard to convince me to abort.”This awful truth wasn’t delivered in accusing tones. She wasn’t attacking me for the choices I
[Alice’s POV]The gate house buzzed.I pressed the intercom. “Charles?”“Sorry to disturb you ma’am but we have someone just arrived, who is asking to see you.”I wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who is it?”“Ah, it’s a Mr Newcombe. He says he knows you.”David? I suppose he did know me, or what it suited him to know. For too long, he didn’t really know me at all.And I guess, in the end that was what killed our marriage.“It’s okay, Charles, please let him in.”I was resting in the drawing room, browsing through furniture catalogues. My housekeeper answered the door.“Mr Newcombe ma’am,” she announced when David came in.“Thank you, Greta,” I said. “Take a seat, David.”He came over and bent down to place a kiss on my cheek before taking a lounge chair opposite me.I looked at him. “I wasn’t expecting visitors today. You should have messaged me.”I was pleased I had dressed nicely for the day, taken care of my hair, and added a touch of makeup. After all, a girl has to think of her dignity,
[Alice’s POV]Today is the day!I’m going home.I was packed and ready when Adam arrived to collect me.“Okay,” he said. “All set? Do we get to take the baby home with us?”I smiled. “Yes! He’s still underweight but steadily putting it on, so Dorothy said since we are both doctors, she can trust him in our care.”Adam’s smile matched mine. “That’s great. Let’s go get him.”He glanced at the wheelchair in the corner of my room. “Are you going to take that with us?”“No. I’m steadier on my feet now and I don’t get as tired as I did when I was pregnant. So, I’ve decided to donate it to the clinic.”We headed down to the NICU to collect our little bundle. He didn’t take up much room in the car.We secured him into his baby capsule and got underway.I was feeling a welling sensation of expectation, having only seen photo snaps of our new house. It was large with well-established gardens. And I knew it was protected by a state-of-the-art security system, and even had its own ‘panic’ room.“
[Lily’s POV]I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror, pressing my dress against my abdomen. My baby bump was really visible now, though it still had a long way to go.While my ‘delicate’ condition was useful for extracting all sorts of concessions, I was not happy with the idea that I would soon look like a bloated walrus.And the thought of a natural birth left my skin crawling. Ugh! Thank heavens there was a better way. It’ll be a booked caesarian for me! I want to be left neat and tidy, thank you very much!I am aware that Alice has delivered a baby boy. A son for David. It was annoying that this meant a lot to him, though he hasn’t been able to meet his son yet.Realizing that he wanted a male heir, I had a scan done and confirmed that our growing fetus was a boy. That also meant a lot to David. I was just happy that it distracted him from his urge to be involved with Alice’s son. At least, for the meantime.I wondered about the implications of him having two sons – mine –
[Alice 's POV]The air in the grand ballroom was thick with the scent of lilies and chilled, expensive champagne. It was a world away from the sterile silence of the lab, a shimmering bubble of old-world wealth that felt like a fever dream.Endall stayed at my side, his hand hovering near the small
[Alice’s POV]The villa sat on the edge of the research institute’s grounds, tucked away behind a stand of ancient, snow-dusted pines. From the outside, it was all sleek glass and cold stone, but the moment Endall pushed my wheelchair across the threshold, the world changed.The air hit me first. I
[David's POV]The night before the trial began, I sat in my study with the prosecution statement submitted by my lawyers, spread out in front of me. My desk lamp illuminated the document, and the damning lines within spelled out all the lines of evidence that prove how Alice ‘intentionally harmed’
[Alice’s POV]The walls of the interrogation room are a dull gray-green color that absorbs all the heat from the room. The room contained a metal table, some plastic chairs, and overhead incandescent tubes that hum and cast a glaring light on the table surface. I sat in a chair at the table with ha







