“Unbelievable,” she snapped. “Can you not do anything right.”
Elias froze, his eyes filling with tears. “I am sorry,” he whispered.
She did not respond to the apology. Instead, she turned her attention to Naomi.
“And that thing,” Vanessa said sharply, pointing at the stuffed rabbit. “You are not a baby. Put it away.”
Naomi hesitated. Vanessa stepped forward and snatched the toy from her hands, tossing it onto a nearby chair. Naomi pressed her lips together, crying silently.
Aaron stood halfway, instinctively stepping between Vanessa and his siblings.
“That is enough,” Vanessa said, her smile thin and unsettling. “Sit down before you make things worse.”
Aaron obeyed, though his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.
Miles gripped the door frame harder, his breath shallow. Every instinct screamed for him to intervene, but he forced himself to wait. He needed to know the full truth, without interruption, without excuses.
Vanessa’s phone rang. She answered it with a bright laugh that made Miles’ skin crawl.
“Yes, everything is under control,” she said lightly. “He has no idea. Honestly, once this marriage is official, things will be much easier.”
She paced the room slowly, her voice dropping.