Mrs. Watson didn’t even dare to sleep through the night. She woke up every two hours to check on Gemma, making sure everything was just right. Even with all these precautions, she still worried about Gemma’s safety. There was no way she would risk feeding her something unsafe.“Alright, you can go now,” Nash said. Without concrete evidence, he couldn’t just lay the blame on Mrs. Watson. If only he had security cameras installed at home, he would know exactly who was responsible for Gemma’s poisoning.As soon as Mrs. Watson left, Nash received a call from his assistant. “Mr. York, I’ve sent over the background report you requested.”According to the report, Mrs. Watson’s family life was straightforward. She had a daughter who got married a few years ago. The couple ran a grocery store together and had a young son. They had no debt, and there were no large deposits in their bank records. Her previous employers also spoke highly of her, saying she cared for their children as if t
"Her fever’s already gone, isn’t it?" Hope asked, glancing at Gemma in her cradle. Resentment slowly took root in her heart. Gemma had stolen everyone’s attention. Why did she have to take Orion’s too?All Hope wanted was to play a game with Orion, but even that was too much to ask."Yes, her fever is down, but I’m still worried," Orion replied, patience wearing thin. His tone held a hint of irritation as he added, "I told you, if you want to play, go play by yourself. Stop bothering me. Gemma is my sister, of course I’m concerned about her!"Orion no longer felt the same fondness for Hope as before. Gemma might not be Hope's sister, but they were all going to be one family and would be living together. Shouldn't Hope be just as worried about Gemma’s fever, like a sister would be? How could she still be in the mood to play, and expect him to join her?"Orion?" Hope froze, her eyes widening. Orion had just pulled away from her. He had never been so harsh with her before. Tears
"You all can go over to her, but I’m the only one who can’t. How is that supposed to make me feel like part of this family? You’ve never really wanted me to fit in," Hope said, feeling more and more upset as she spoke.If Gemma were to disappear from the world entirely, then Orion would only have one sister, her. His focus would be solely on her, and he would never be cross with her over another sister again.If only she had given Gemma more of that medicine before. She remembered the little bottle still tucked away in her backpack. The bad people had told her the substance was powerful. Just half a bottle could kill an adult, and a child would need even less. Just a few more drops, and Gemma would be gone forever.Then, not only would she see her real mom again, but she would also have Orion all to herself."Stop thinking that way," Orion insisted. "We really are a family. It’s because we’re a family that we need to take care of Gemma and be considerate of Mom."But no matter w
"Alright then, I’ll go bake you a simple cake now. We’ll save the more complicated recipe for tomorrow morning," Mrs. Watson finally relented.Hope nodded enthusiastically. It wouldn’t take long to give Gemma the medicine, just a minute or two, which was plenty of time.As soon as Mrs. Watson left, Hope went back to Orion. "Hey, do you remember Gemma’s little plush? The one that looks like a kitten? She used to love it.""I remember," Orion replied, recalling the toy. He had picked it out himself on a family outing to the toy store. He had known right away that Gemma would love it, and he was right. She couldn’t part with it after they brought it home."The plush is hanging on the upstairs balcony. Why don’t you bring it down? It might help her sleep more peacefully," Hope suggested, her tone full of concern for Gemma.No one would have guessed that behind such an innocent demeanor was a malicious intent.Orion had no idea that leaving Gemma alone would put her in danger. Tru
As Nina spoke, a chill ran through her body. She had considered every possibility, even the idea that someone might have broken into their home to harm Gemma while they were out. But never, not even once, had she suspected a six-year-old child.Yet here she was, holding the evidence that this very child had nearly killed her daughter."What?" Nash was equally stunned. But with the bottle in his hand, there was no denying the reality right in front of him.Compared to the adults, Orion reacted even more strongly. He stormed down the stairs with Gemma’s toy in hand and shoved Hope hard enough to knock her over. She scraped her hand on the floor and began to cry in pain and frustration."How dare you cry?" Orion’s voice was thick with anger. "My sister’s suffering is way worse than a scraped hand. She’s so little, with tubes all over her, and it’s all because of you. Why did you do it?"He couldn’t understand. Hadn’t they treated Hope well enough? Even if they weren’t perfect, did th
Alongside his anger, Orion felt a sharp pang of guilt. His parents had once suggested sending Hope to a welfare home, but he had wanted to keep her because he liked her as a sister. But what he had brought into their home wasn’t a sister, it was someone who could kill.“Get out! Go far away. I never want to see you again!” he shouted, pushing her away when she tried to grab his sleeve. She fell to the ground, landing heavily.Mrs. Watson stepped out of the kitchen holding a cake, and when she saw the scene, she started to go over to help Hope. But before she could get too close, she heard Orion snap, “Stop pretending to be pitiful. You’re so fake and disgusting. You poisoned my sister, and you think I’d feel sorry for you?”Mrs. Watson froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.Poison?She looked at Hope, unable to connect the idea of poisoning with this small child who barely came up to her waist. How could someone so young do something so cruel?Then, out of the corner of her eye
Although she was young, Hope knew the difference between comfort and hardship. In this home, even though they weren’t her blood relatives, everyone treated her kindly. She felt safe here. She could play in the garden without constantly preparing to flee with her family. If they sent her back, she would be alone, wandering the streets. She would never see her family again, especially since she hadn’t completed her mission.As despair sank in, Hope pleaded, “I know I was wrong. I won’t do it again, I swear. Please, let me stay here. I promise I won’t hurt anyone.”She could even accept that Orion might never play with her again, as long as she could stay.“It’s too late for that. I don’t believe you,” Orion said, moving closer to Nina. Last time, he had pleaded on Hope’s behalf. This time, it was the opposite. He shook his head at his parents. “Mom, Dad, please don’t let her stay. I’m afraid she’ll hurt my sister again.”This had happened once, and it could easily happen again.
Quincy’s hand hung in midair, hesitant to reach for Lydia, fearing he might hurt her. “Please, don’t leave. I swear, I’ll never go back there again, no matter what they say or do. I just want to be with you.”“And what about our child?” Lydia grabbed his hand, placing it on her stomach, which was flat and empty.The pain in Quincy’s eyes deepened. Lydia’s heart ached, but she forced herself to continue. “Tell me, where is our child? Can you bring them back? If you could, I wouldn’t care about anything else, not who you’re with or what you do. I’d just want my child back.”For a woman, a child was her life. She would rather face any harm herself than let her child suffer even the slightest misfortune.“Lydia, please don’t talk like this. I only love you. If you’re angry, you can hit me, yell at me or anything. Just don’t say things like that.” Quincy knew that these words wounded her as much as they did him. Lydia had already endured the physical pain of losing a child, and now sh