“Of course not,” Brandon replied with a smirk. “You handled it perfectly… slow and steady.”
William’s pulse thundered.
Slowly… what?
Miss Evelyn gripped his arm tighter.
A warning.
Stay quiet.
Brandon spoke again.
“And the kid?”
Silence.
Vanessa sighed.
Not with worry.
With annoyance.
“He’s still hanging on. The fever comes and goes… but it’s not enough.”
Not enough?
William felt the room spin.
Brandon lowered his voice.
“Are you sure this isn’t too risky?”
Vanessa calmly took another sip.
“The maid serves the meals. The medicine gets mixed in. Nobody notices.”
William’s entire body went cold.
The maid.
Miss Evelyn trembled beside him.
“When the boy is gone,” Brandon murmured, “everything becomes easier.”
Gone.
William nearly burst from hiding.
But Miss Evelyn held him firmly in place.
Strong enough to stop a father from running straight to his child.
“William notices nothing,” Vanessa continued coldly. “He’s always exhausted. Distracted. Easy to control.”
Every word cut deeper.
“And after that?” Brandon asked.
Vanessa smiled.
William could hear it in her voice.
“After that… everything belongs to me.”
The silence inside the closet became unbearable.
William’s knees nearly gave out.
His son.
Noah.
Sick for weeks.
Fever.