Chapter 3: The Cold Den
The leather chairs in the den smelled faintly of aged tobacco and expensive cologne, but the room felt stifling. Julian set Leo carefully down in the portable bassinet near the desk, making sure the baby was still breathing normally before turning his attention to the mounted computer monitor. Victoria stood by the door, refusing to sit, her emerald dress rustling sharply whenever she shifted her weight.
Elena walked in slowly, keeping her distance near the threshold. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the shivering that wracked her frame. Her dark hair was half-unpinned, falling in damp strands across her forehead. She watched Julian’s fingers fly across the keyboard, entering the administrator password with practiced ease.
"Bring up the backyard camera at 11:42," Julian muttered, his eyes glued to the loading progress bar.
"You're actually humoring her," Victoria scoffed, walking over to the window that overlooked the dark lawn. "This is humiliating, Julian. She lunged at our child. It’s midnight. We should be calling the authorities, not playing computer technician."
"Just wait, Victoria," Julian said without looking up. The screen flickered, replacing the desktop background with a multi-quadrant camera view. The top-left tile clearly labeled 'Backyard Pool' showed the exact scene they had just left: the empty stone patio, the rippling water illuminated in neon blue, and the bassinet sitting near the sliding glass door.
Julian used the mouse to scrub the timeline backward by five minutes. The progress bar moved smoothly, skipping through the empty hours of the evening until figures finally appeared on screen.
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Elena held her breath. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She knew what she had seen. She knew what she had pulled the baby away from. If the camera angle missed it, she would have no defense against Victoria’s powerful social standing and sharp tongue.
On the monitor, the back door slid open. The footage showed Victoria stepping out onto the patio first, carrying a cup of tea, followed closely by Elena pushing the stroller with Leo inside. They had come out for some fresh air after the baby had fussed through a late-night feeding.
