All Chapters of The Twisted Wedding Night: Chapter 71 - Chapter 73

“What do we do now?”The question tore out of me before I could stop it. Panic sat tight in my chest, sharp and relentless, like I’d swallowed something with edges.Willow didn’t flinch.She stood by the window of her bedroom, hands folded neatly in front of her, staring out at the manicured gardens as if I’d just asked her what she wanted for lunch.“Ella,” she said calmly, “you need to breathe.”I let out a shaky laugh. “Breathe? You just told me Lily is Alice’s mother. You stole her baby. Ace doesn’t know. Alice just called her Mama in front of everyone. And you’re telling me to breathe?”She turned slowly, fixing me with a look so sharp it sliced clean through my hysteria.“Yes,” she said. “Because panic is useless.”I pressed my hands into my hair, pacing the length of the room. “This is a disaster. If Ace finds out—”“He won’t,” Willow said firmly.“You don’t know that.”“I do,” she replied. “Because I won’t let it happen.”I stopped pacing. “And how exactly do you plan to do th

Alice had been unsettled all afternoon.Not fussy exactly—just off. Like something inside her couldn’t quite settle. She clung to my hand longer than usual, dragged her feet when I tried to guide her upstairs for her nap, kept glancing toward the hallway as if waiting for someone who hadn’t arrived yet.“Hey,” I murmured, crouching in front of her. “What’s going on in that busy little head?”She shrugged, lower lip wobbling.My heart tightened. I brushed her hair back gently. “It’s okay. I’m here.”Her arms wrapped around my neck instantly, small fingers gripping my sweater like she was afraid I might disappear if she let go.Behind us, I could feel eyes.I didn’t need to turn around to know who they belonged to.Ella sat on the sofa, posture composed, hands folded neatly in her lap. Willow stood near the window, phone in hand, gaze sharp and assessing. They’d been hovering all day—present but distant, polite but watchful.I ignored them.Alice mattered more.“Let’s sit down, okay?” I