Is Dahlia A Threat To Chloe? (Prologue)

“Two weeks until your birthday, Chloe! What do you think you’ll wish for?” Dahlia asked, gently coloring alongside Chloe in the living room as she tucked her lush brown hair behind her ears.

Chloe paused for a moment, her eyes gazing up towards the ceiling in thought. “I haven’t decided yet. But I will soon!” she replied with a warm smile.

Dahlia chuckled softly, picking up a bright yellow crayon to color in the sun she had drawn. “You’re taking your time, aren’t you? How hard can it be to decide on one wish?” she teased in a playful tone, her blue eyes crinkling with warmth.

Chloe grinned, mirroring her caretaker’s lightheartedness. “Well, I’m thinking about what would be the best possible wish!” she exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye. “Maybe I’ll wish for… a puppy?

Just as Dahlia opened her mouth to respond, the loud rumble of a car outside caught her attention and that of Chloe's.

“Daddy’s home!” Chloe exclaimed, jumping to her feet and dashing to the entrance.

Dahlia, with a smile, quickly covered the drawing books and arranged the crayons, then joined Chloe just as Asher appeared with a gift for his daughter.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Dahlia greeted, bowing as Asher acknowledged her with a curt nod before turning back to his daughter.

Asher knelt down to Chloe’s level and smiled. “Would you like to open your present and see what’s inside?” he asked.

“Yes!” Chloe squealed with joy, retrieving the gift from its small bag. Enclosed in a black box, she struggled to open it.

“Need any help?” Catherine inquired from behind, her voice catching everyone’s attention.

Catherine, Asher’s sister-in-law, approached the scene, extending a hand towards Chloe’s gift. “May I?” she asked, fixing Chloe with a friendly smile.

Chloe nodded, giving the box to her aunt. With a click, Catherine pried the lid open, revealing the gift: a diamond necklace.

Dahlia offered Catherine a polite greeting, which was coldly ignored as Catherine’s attention was entirely focused on the gift. “It’s a diamond necklace!” she gasped.

“It’s so pretty!” Chloe exclaimed in delight, her green orbs shimmering.

“Give it to your daddy to put it on for you,” Catherine instructed, and Chloe scampered back to Asher, who fastened the necklace around her neck.

Chloe twirled in delight, the diamond necklace glimmering against her neck as her blonde hair waved freely. With a wide grin, she dashed over to Dahlia, holding the necklace out for inspection. “Look, Dahlia! Daddy bought me a diamond necklace!”

Dahlia smiled warmly, congratulating Chloe on her gift. “That’s beautiful, Chloe. Just remember to be careful with it.”

“Can you help me keep it safe?” Chloe asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Dahlia patted Chloe’s head, nodding. “Of course.”

Chloe scampered back to her father, clutching her gift. “Thank you, daddy! I love my present, and I won’t lose it. Dahlia’s going to help me keep it safe. And I love you, daddy!” She threw her arms around her father.

Asher lifted his daughter in a warm embrace. “You’re welcome. This is a pre-birthday gift for you, sweetheart.” Setting her down, he watched as Chloe gathered her box and bag, scampering over to Dahlia.

Dahlia bowed to Asher and Catherine before following Chloe to the living room, where the two resumed their coloring activity.

As they did, a shadow of doubt crossed Catherine’s face as she watched them from the foyer. “Be careful, Asher,” she whispered, her green eyes tracking Dahlia’s movements. “Don’t let her charm fool you. There’s more to her than meets the eye.”

Asher’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Catherine narrowed her eyes at Dahlia, her voice low and taut. “I don’t trust her. She’s too good to be true.”

Asher’s gaze followed Catherine’s pointed stare towards Dahlia, but he shrugged off his sister-in-law’s concern. “She’s been nothing but helpful. Chloe loves her, and she’s been great with her.”

Catherine persisted, a note of frustration creeping into her voice. “There’s a reason she showed up on our doorstep when she did, Asher. She knows how to play on your sympathies,” Catherine warned, her voice growing taut. “You know what they say about people who seem too good to be true…”

Asher frowned, considering Catherine’s words. “I appreciate your concern, Catherine. But you’re letting your imagination run away with you. Dahlia hasn’t given me a single reason not to trust her.”

As Catherine turned to leave, her mouth formed a tight line. “Mark my words, Asher. It’s only a matter of time until her true intentions come to light.” She fixed him with one last warning glance before disappearing down the hall.

Alone with his thoughts, Asher frowned and rubbed his temples, running his hands through his blonde hair. Catherine’s doubts gnawed at him, despite his efforts to dismiss them. “Is Dahlia a threat to Chloe?” he wondered, his brown eyes drifting once more to Dahlia and Chloe in the living room.

Asher left for his office, his mind grappling with his sister-in-law's words, while Dahlia continued coloring with Chloe until dinnertime.

Asher’s work kept him away until the next morning, so Dahlia and Chloe shared a quiet meal, before Chloe was put to bed with Dahlia’s customary bedtime story.

Dahlia was midway through when Chloe drifted off to sleep. Dahlia closed the book, intent on tucking her in. As she leaned in for a gentle kiss on Chloe’s forehead, her gaze fell upon the diamond necklace.

With a sigh, Dahlia whispered, “Let’s take this off, Chloe. I’d hate for you to lose it.”

Gently, she removed the necklace, placing it on Chloe’s bedside table back inside the black box it came with.

Dahlia flicked off the lights, retreating to her own room.

Downstairs, Catherine sat scrolling on her phone in the empty living room. At the sight of Dahlia heading towards the maid’s quarters, she abruptly shut off her phone.

“Come out. Now,” Catherine commanded, her tone sharp and sinister.

From the shadows emerged a maid, her head bowed in deference.

“You know what to do,” Catherine said, her voice cold.

The maid nodded silently, though her hands trembled. “No mistakes,” Catherine continued, her gaze fixed on the maid. “Or you’ll suffer the same fate as Dahlia.”

A shiver of fear ran through the maid’s body. “I won’t fail, ma’am,” she whispered. “I swear it.”

Catherine regarded her maid with a dispassionate stare. “Then, you’d better not. Get to work.”

The maid nodded and she headed up the stairs, taking a left turn leading to Chloe's bedroom. As Catherine watched her obedient servant depart, she muttered under her breath, “You must leave, Dahlia, one way or another.”