d run cold. It was the cloying scent of "Jardin de Lune," Seraphina's signature perfume, hanging heav

e smile vanished from her small face

re?" she asked, her to

ed you, so I came to see you." She knelt to hug

ection was a

, stood awkwardly. "Mada

dress. "Clara, what a beauti

"Auntie Sera bought it for me! She sa

Alex repeated,

e. "And this is Auntie Sera! She's the bea

a male doll sat on miniature thrones. In the corner, a brown

hen... who is this one, sweetie?

d every castle needs a maid to do the cleaning." She looked up at Alex, he

usband; she was systematically erasing her from h

us a moment, please?" Alex sa

. "Clara, I am your mother. Not a maid. That wom

plays with me, she buys me pretty dresses! You never do! You'r

lara, do you want a li

d immediately. "Daddy wants a boy. A

htened. "What if

h was long over, but the wound

id not belong to a child. "Then don't be s

ce ashen, unable to move. For a long time, she opene

me, Clara? Having a baby is dangero

day and night, rocking her to sleep, feeding her. At this moment,

ven in the room. "Ugh, stop talking to me. I want to go chat with Auntie Sera. And oh-Auntie Sera, don't get pregnant with a little brother or sister with Daddy, okay? I hear

weet, as if sharing a secret with her favorite person. "I miss Auntie Sera

her car, got in, and sat in the driver's seat. She did not

ounded like a child's. They had sounded borrowed, repeated, plante

n, to scream, to give them evidence that she was unstable? If she lo

No. She would not give

e and dialed Damien. N

tly. "What is it, Al

y those things?" Alex aske

loves Sera, because Sera is kind and cheerful. Maybe you should reflect on yourself instead of blaming oth

hun

But now, she felt something different. Not hope. Not despa

et Clara go? Which choice was truly better for her daughter? To tear her out of the only life she knew, drag her through a courtroom war, and risk breaking her? Or