Chapter Forty One The Walls That Watched

Rosella's POV The phone went dark in my hand silence pressed in hard I stayed by Alexander’s crib the night light showed his small face Leo’s words kept turning in my head the child was never the target I was I put the phone down my fingers curled into my nightdress the place where Leo kissed me earlier still felt warm fear and want mixed until my legs pressed together Damien knocked soft on the door “Rosella everything quiet downstairs stay put until Leo gets back” I opened the door a little “Did he say more after the call” “Only that the message was left on purpose they wanted him to find it clinic cleaned out no records no cameras just that note with his name” I swallowed “And the uncle” “No clear sighting yet Elias is chasing another lead Leo is with him they will not come back empty” Damien looked past me to the crib then back “Keep the door locked I will be in the hallway” I nodded and shut the door the lock clicked loud I sat again one hand on the cri

Chapter Forty Two The Traitor Inside

Rosella's POV Leo’s words settled between us like something sharp, we have a traitor inside the walls, his grip on my hip stayed firm, the heat of his body still pressed close, the nursery quiet except for Alexander’s soft breathing. I stared at him, the message from Elias still hanging in the air. “Who,” my voice came out low, “who still has keys.” Leo’s thumb moved once along my side, the touch rough, the same way he used to claim me when words failed. “That is what we find out tonight, Elias is sending the full description now, Damien is already checking every key log from the last six months.” His phone buzzed again, he glanced at it then locked the screen, his eyes coming back to mine. “The second person matches a staff member who was supposed to be off the estate three days ago, someone who still has master access to the east wing and the nursery floor.” My stomach turned, the silk of my nightdress suddenly too thin. “A name, Leo, give me a name.” “Not yet,” h

Chapter Forty Three Locked In

Rosella's POV I locked the bathroom door the second Leo’s voice left the phone, turned the bolt twice, then checked it again with my free hand while Alexander stayed warm against my chest. The small room felt tighter than it should, the night light from the nursery still leaking under the door in a thin line. I sat on the closed lid of the toilet, back against the cool wall, and held my son closer, his soft breathing the only steady sound. My nightdress clung to the backs of my thighs, the wetness from Leo’s fingers earlier still there, cooling now, mixing with the fear that sat low in my stomach. I should not have been thinking about that kiss, about the way he had worked me open while the house held a traitor, but the memory would not leave. The way his hand had slid under the silk, the slow then firmer strokes, the way he had watched my face the whole time. My thighs pressed together without permission even now. I listened. Footsteps moved past the nursery door, Damien’s

Chapter Forty Four Do Not Open

Rosella's POV Leo’s voice cut through the bathroom door, sharp and close. “Rosella, do not open that door.” I stayed pressed against the wall, Alexander still warm against my chest, the handle on the other side no longer moving. My bare feet felt the cold tile, the silk of my nightdress stuck to the backs of my thighs where Leo’s hands had been earlier, the leftover wetness from his fingers still cooling against my skin. “Leo,” I whispered, loud enough for him to hear. “Stay exactly where you are. Damien is coming from the other end of the hall. Do not touch the lock.” I heard the soft scrape again, slower this time, like fingers testing the wood. Then a woman’s voice, quiet and familiar, the same voice that used to hum while folding Alexander’s clothes. “Mrs. Romano? Are you in there with the baby? I only wanted to check if you needed fresh towels.” Marguerite. My arms tightened around Alexander. The polite tone she always used sat wrong against the fact that she ha

Chapter Forty Five His Uncle Is Waiting

Rosella's POV The message glowed on my phone screen, three short lines that made the nursery feel smaller. The boy is still safe. For now. Tell Leo his uncle is waiting. I read it twice, then a third time, my thumb hovering over the screen. Alexander slept on in the crib, one small fist near his mouth, the night light casting a soft circle across the blanket. The taste of Leo’s last kiss was still on my lips. The place where his hand had rested on my thigh still felt warm. I stood and walked to the open doorway. “Leo.” My voice came out quieter than I meant. He was already halfway down the hall. He turned at the sound of his name and came back fast. “What is it.” I held the phone out. He took it, read the message once, then again. His jaw worked once before he locked the screen and handed it back. “When did this come in.” “Just now. Unknown number.” Leo pulled his own phone from his pocket and dialed Damien without looking away from me. “Check every incomin

Chapter Forty Six Closer Than Marguerite

Rosella's POV I sat on the edge of the bed with the phone still in my lap, the three lines stayed behind my eyes even after the screen went dark. Alexander slept on, the soft rise and fall of his chest the only steady thing in the room. The lock on the nursery door stayed turned from the outside. Leo’s last kiss still sat on my mouth, warm and unfinished, the faint taste of him lingering like he had never fully left. Minutes passed. I counted them by the slow tick of the wall clock and the occasional creak of the old house. Every sound pulled my shoulders tight. The leftover ache between my legs from earlier would not fade, the memory of Leo’s hand under my nightdress mixed with the new fear until I could not separate the two. My skin still felt marked where his fingers had been, the silk of the nightdress brushing those same spots every time I shifted. I stood and walked to the window, peeled the curtain back just enough to see the dark grounds. Nothing moved outside. The perim