Chapter 4: The Shadows at the Gate
Alex spent his first full week learning how to live without fear. He hoarded rolls from breakfast under his pillow, terrified the food would disappear. Eleanor did not scold him; instead, she placed a silver bowl overflowing with fresh fruit directly on his nightstand.
"Whenever you’re hungry, it’s yours," she told him every night before kissing his forehead.
By the second week, Alex began to laugh again. He showed a rare gift for numbers, solving complex puzzles on Eleanor’s tablet in minutes—a mirror image of his late father.
One afternoon, while Alex played in the private courtyard accompanied by two armed bodyguards, a sleek black SUV idled across the street. The tinted window rolled down halfway.
A high-powered lens snapped photos of the boy running across the lawn.
Inside the SUV, Julian Vance stared at the camera display. His hand shook as he dialed an encrypted burner phone.
"You told me the infant died of exposure in the winter of 2019," Julian snarled into the receiver.
"Rosa took the kid and vanished into the subway system, Julian," a rough voice replied. "We thought they froze years ago. If Eleanor links the clinic fire to you, you’re looking at life in federal prison."
May you like
"Clean it up," Julian whispered. "Both of them."
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