Chapter 12 - The Whispers of Lydia
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Late that night, after Noah had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep without the aid of any chemicals, Dominic brought me to his private balcony overlooking the dark, expansive forest surrounding the estate.
The crisp Chicago night air blew through my hair. Dominic handed me a glass of amber liquid, which I accepted silently.
“I owe you an explanation,” Dominic said, staring out at the trees.
“You don't owe me anything, Dominic,” I replied. “You’re paying for my brother’s heart surgery. That’s more than enough.”
“It’s not enough,” Dominic countered sharply, turning to look at me. “Lydia’s death... I blamed myself for two years. I thought I brought my work home. I thought my enemies targeted her car on the highway because I was careless.”
He took a slow sip from his glass.
“Noah was in the back seat of that car,” Dominic continued, his voice heavy with old grief. “He survived without a scratch. But when the ambulance arrived, Dr. Julian was the first person on the scene. Noah saw Julian administer the 'emergency injection' that stopped Lydia's heart for good.”
I gasped, covering my mouth. “Noah witnessed his mother’s murder.”
“Yes,” Dominic said grimly. “A four-year-old boy couldn't articulate what he saw. But he remembered Julian's face. That’s why he fought every nanny. That’s why he broke things. He was trying to warn me that the murderer was inside my house.”
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Tears welled in my eyes as I thought of the poor, terrified child being called 'insane' by everyone around him while trying to scream the truth.
“And I was too blind to see it,” Dominic growled, slamming his fist onto the balcony railing. “Until you walked into my home with a bucket and a mop, and actually looked into my son’s eyes.”
