But as Julia grew closer to Luna, her instinct—that sixth sense born of pain—began to buzz. There was something strange about Luna’s routine. The girl wasn’t just sick; she seemed terrified. She shuddered when the nurses arrived with injections. Her eyes, which began to brighten with Julia, extinguished instantly when it was time for medication.
One afternoon, while Julia tenderly brushed her hair, Luna tensed up. Her small hand gripped Julia’s wrist, and with a voice like breaking glass, she whispered:
“Don’t let them give me that, mommy. It hurts.”
Julia froze. Not just because of the word “mommy,” which hit her heart like a tsunami, but because of the genuine terror in the girl’s voice. Julia realized the illness wasn’t the only thing killing Luna.
That night, while the mansion slept, Julia opened a door that should never have been opened. She searched the medical records and found an old box full of empty bottles and prescriptions signed by the same name: Dr. Atticus Morrow.
The Poisoned Truth
The next day, Julia took one of the bottles to an old friend, Carla, who worked in an independent lab. When the results came back, the news was horrifying.