All Chapters of Don't Stop, Daddy: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Morning bled into the house like a spotlight. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, flooding every polished surface, every crystal vase, and ivory curtain Vanessa had so carefully arranged to display her perfection.But to Sierra, it felt merciless. Too bright, too exposing.She hadn’t slept. Hours had passed with her body twisted in the sheets, her mind replaying the same moment on an endless loop: her slip at dinner. That single letter…..“D”……perched on her lips like a razor, nearly severing everything.If Damien hadn’t squeezed her thigh so hard she’d jolted back into reality, if she hadn’t clamped her tongue just in time what then?The humiliation churned through her stomach until bile rose in her throat. She pressed her palms over her face, muffling a sob.And then, faint but distinct, she heard it.Her mother’s laughter.It drifted down the hallway, light and melodic, as if Vanessa had no care in the world. To anyone else, it was just the sound of a content wife and hos

The storm had been coming for days. Sierra felt it in the stillness of the house, in the way Vanessa’s smile stretched too tight, in the way Damien’s eyes hardened when her mother lingered in a room. Something was shifting, and the ground beneath her feet felt less like solid earth and more like cracking ice.That afternoon, Vanessa called them both into the living room. Her voice was calm, almost musical, as if this were nothing more than a family gathering. But when Sierra walked in and saw the manila envelope sitting neatly on the coffee table, her knees nearly buckled.Vanessa sat back in her chair, one leg crossed elegantly over the other. She lifted her glass of wine, swirling the deep red liquid as if she had all the time in the world. “I thought it would be nice,” she said smoothly, “if we cleared the air.”Damien’s jaw tightened. “What is this?”Vanessa’s lips curved faintly. “A collection. Something that caught my eye. You know me I notice things.”She reached for the envelo

The lake house grew quieter with each passing hour, silence pressing against the walls like a living thing. By the third day, Sierra felt as though her own pulse was the loudest sound in the house, betraying her with every beat.Vanessa moved through the rooms with a graceful ease that unsettled her more than anger ever could. She wasn’t shouting, she wasn’t accusing, she was smiling, humming, arranging flowers in vases, as though she had all the time in the world.And maybe she did.Sierra knew what it meant: Vanessa wasn’t searching anymore. She was waiting.The InvitationThat afternoon, Vanessa appeared in the doorway of Sierra’s room. She leaned lightly against the frame, her smile gentle.“Darling, would you help me with something?”Sierra froze. “What?”“I need an extra pair of hands in the garden. Damien’s gone into town for supplies, and it’s silly for me to manage it alone.”The request seemed harmless. Too harmless. But Sierra followed her mother out, the weight in her che

The countdown to Sunday ticked louder in Sierra’s head with every passing hour. Even the air felt heavy, as though the house itself knew it was waiting for an explosion.She couldn’t escape her mother’s eyes. At breakfast, at dinner, even in silence across the living room Vanessa’s gaze lingered, patient, sharp, like a blade being polished. Each look said the same thing: I see you. I know you. I’m waiting.Sierra found herself trembling at the smallest sound. A door creaking open, a drawer sliding shut. Every noise felt like a threat.A Sudden InvitationThat afternoon, Vanessa appeared in Sierra’s doorway without knocking. She leaned against the frame, her figure elegant in a cream silk blouse, her smile effortless.“Walk with me,” she said.It wasn’t a request.Sierra’s stomach twisted, but she rose. The two of them stepped outside, the sun painting gold over the lake, the air fresh with pine. It should have been peaceful, but every step beside her mother was suffocating.“You’ve gr

The lake house seemed quieter after Sunday night, but it wasn’t a peaceful silence. It was the quiet of a predator watching from the shadows. Sierra felt it in every room, in every glance from her mother.Vanessa had closed the box, but not the suspicion. She was waiting for them to stumble, waiting for a mistake she could catch in her hands like prey.And Sierra could feel herself slipping closer and closer to giving her one.Breakfast TensionMonday morning was deceptively ordinary. Vanessa prepared pancakes, her movements graceful, her humming soft. But Sierra could feel her mother’s gaze lingering.Damien sat at the head of the table, reading the paper. He looked unbothered, but Sierra could see the subtle way his jaw clenched.“Would you pass the syrup, Sierra?” Vanessa asked.Her voice was gentle, almost too gentle. Sierra obeyed, sliding the syrup across the table. Vanessa smiled, her eyes never leaving Sierra’s trembling hands.“You’re so nervous lately, darling. Are your stud