Despite her discomfort, Lucia accepted the job. The salary—€5,000 a month plus housing—was impossible to refuse. Helena emphasized discretion and loyalty above all else.
Upstairs, Emma’s bedroom looked like a dream: pastel walls, expensive toys, delicate furniture. But the child on the bed made Lucia’s stomach tighten. Emma lay still, breathing shallowly, far too sedated for a healthy toddler. She was pale, thin, fragile.
Lucia checked her pulse and breathing—both were dangerously low. Emma was being kept sedated nearly all day. When her eyes fluttered open, they were unfocused and glassy.
That night, alone, Lucia reread the routine. This wasn’t treatment. It was chemical restraint.
Over the following days, Lucia spoke quietly with Rosa, the longtime housekeeper, who revealed that Emma had once been lively and curious. The medication started shortly after Helena married Emma’s father, Daniel.