Chapter 1 - THE FALL
The stroller was already on its side when Adrian walked through the front door.
For one frozen second, his brain refused to understand what he was seeing.
Emma's pink blanket lay twisted near the bottom of the staircase. One wheel of the stroller spun uselessly in the air. His six-month-old daughter screamed so hard her tiny face had turned purple. Clara was on her knees, clutching Emma against her chest. Vanessa stood three feet away, shaking and crying.
Then Vanessa pointed.
“Adrian, thank God. She pushed the stroller.”
Everything in the room went silent except the baby.
Adrian dropped his keys.
“What?”
Clara's head snapped up. “No. Adrian, listen to me—”
“She pushed it toward the stairs,” Vanessa sobbed. “I tried to stop her. I couldn't get there fast enough.”
Clara stared at her as if she'd been stabbed. “You liar.”
Adrian crossed the room in three strides. He took Emma from Clara's arms before she could react.
“Give me my daughter.”
“Adrian, I caught her before she fell. Look at me. I was saving her.”
Emma buried her wet face in Adrian's shoulder. His pulse thundered. The image in front of him seemed obvious: overturned stroller, terrified baby, Vanessa crying, Clara kneeling beside the stairs.
And in that terrible second, fear beat reason.
“You could have killed her.”
Clara went pale. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.”
“Adrian, I would never hurt Emma.”
Vanessa whispered, “She was angry. She said the baby ruined everything.”
Clara lunged to her feet. “I never said that!”
Adrian turned toward Clara. “Stop.”
“She is lying to you!”
“Stop!”
Clara reached for Emma.
Adrian slapped her.
The sound cracked through the foyer.
Clara's head turned with the impact. She didn't fall. She simply stood there, one hand slowly rising to her cheek, tears filling her eyes more from shock than pain.
Olivia appeared at the hallway entrance.
“Dad?”
Adrian looked at his fifteen-year-old daughter, breathing hard.
Clara whispered, “I was saving her.”
Vanessa covered her mouth and began crying harder.
Then Olivia lifted her phone.
Her face had gone white.
“Dad,” she said. “Stop.”
Adrian stared at her.
Olivia pointed toward the television in the living room.
May you like
“Watch this.”
And for the first time, Vanessa stopped crying.
