Chapter 19 - The Playground Setup
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I walked out into the hallway just as Hannah was stepping out of the nursery, holding Grace wrapped in a plush pink blanket.
Hannah froze when she saw me standing at the top of the stairs, flanked by Mark and two imposing, suit-clad private security officers we had hired after the first threat.
"Mrs. Sterling!" Hannah gasped, taking a step back into the nursery door. "I... I was just taking Grace down for a midnight feeding—"
"Set my daughter down, Hannah," I said, my voice dropping an octave, deadly cold. "Or my guards will remove you from this house in handcuffs."
Hannah looked at the two armed security guards, her face turning pale as she realized she was completely cornered. She slowly stepped back inside and laid Grace safely into her crib.
At that exact moment, the heavy glass of our back patio door shattered downstairs as intruders forced their way into the kitchen.
"Stay here with Grace, Mark," I ordered, grabbing a heavy silver flashlight from the hallway table.
I walked down the grand staircase, flanked by our security chief, David Vance (no relation to my family, just an ex-marine with ice in his veins).
Standing in our kitchen, holding a crowbar, was a rough-looking man in a dark hoodie. Behind him, wearing an expensive black trench coat and designer sunglasses despite the dark, was my mother, Evelyn.
"Where is she, Sarah?" Evelyn demanded, stepping over the shattered patio glass, her face twisted with a terrifying, unhinged fury. "Where is my granddaughter?!"
"You broke into my home, Evelyn," I said, stepping onto the marble floor of the kitchen, holding my ground. "You paid a fake nanny to unlock my doors. You really have lost your mind."
"You took my life! You took my husband! You took my money!" Evelyn shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at me. "I am taking what is mine! Give me that baby or I will burn this house to the ground with you in it!"
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"You aren't taking anything," I replied softly.
Red and blue police lights suddenly strobed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the dark kitchen. Sirens wailed loudly outside as four police cruisers screeched onto our front lawn.
