Chapter 5 - What Sofia Hid in Lily’s Rabbit
The stuffed rabbit had one crooked ear.
Lily called him Mr. Buttons.
He had slept beside her every night since before she could talk.
Dominic placed him on the library table like evidence in a murder trial.
Lily crossed her arms.
“You’re hurting his feelings.”
“I’m not hurting him.”
“You put him on the cold table.”
Dominic immediately moved a folded blanket beneath the rabbit.
Norah stared.
The most feared man in the city had just provided comfort for a stuffed animal.
Luca walked away before anyone could see him smile.
Norah crouched beside Lily.
“We need to check something inside Mr. Buttons.”
“No.”
“It belonged to your mom.”
Lily’s expression changed.
“Mommy?”
Dominic’s face softened.
“Yes.”
That was enough.
Lily hugged the rabbit.
Then handed him over.
“Don’t cut his face.”
“Agreed,” Norah said.
They opened a seam hidden beneath one leg.
Inside the stuffing was a tiny plastic capsule.
Dominic removed it carefully.
A memory card.
Luca loaded it into an isolated computer.
One video file appeared.
Sofia filled the screen.
Alive.
Young.
Tired.
Beautiful.
Dominic sat down.
Lily whispered:
“Mommy.”
Norah’s eyes filled.
The timestamp showed six weeks before Sofia’s death.
Sofia looked directly into the camera.
“If you’re watching this, I either became paranoid for nothing…”
She smiled sadly.
“…or I was right.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Sofia explained.
Vivienne had been moving money from Lily’s trust.
At first Sofia assumed gambling debt.
Then she discovered something worse.
Vivienne was funding private clinics tied to Carlo Orsini.
Not because she loved Carlo.
Because the clinics provided access to medical records belonging to influential families.
Judges.
Politicians.
Business leaders.
Pregnancies.
DNA tests.
Addiction treatment.
Illness.
Information worth millions.
Blackmail.
Control.
Sofia confronted Vivienne.
Her sister denied everything.
Days later, Sofia began getting sick.
“I cannot prove she poisoned me.”
Dominic’s hand tightened.
Norah whispered:
“Oh God.”
Sofia continued.
“If I die, do not let Dominic blame himself.”
His face broke.
Only slightly.
Enough.
“He loves badly sometimes,” Sofia said with a faint smile. “Too much protection. Too much silence. But he loves completely.”
Norah looked at him.
Dominic could not look back.
Then Sofia said something unexpected.
“There is a young woman at the law office. Norah Hayes.”
Norah stopped breathing.
“She notices things.”
Sofia smiled.
“She thinks nobody sees her. I do.”
Dominic looked at Norah now.
“If I can place Lily near someone someday, I would trust her.”
The video ended.
No one spoke.
Lily touched the screen.
“Mommy knew Norah?”
“Yes,” Dominic whispered.
“Then Mommy picked her?”
His voice cracked.
“Yes.”
Lily smiled.
“I knew Mommy was smart.”
Dominic laughed once.
Then pulled his daughter into his arms.
That night, something changed.
Not between Dominic and Lily.
That bond had always been there.
Between Dominic and Norah.
He found her on the terrace overlooking the city.
She wore the same oversized cardigan.
Only now there was no reason to hide.
Dominic approached.
“You can stop wearing those.”
Norah looked down.
“I got used to them.”
“I bought you clothes.”
She stared.
“You what?”
“They’re in your room.”
“Dominic.”
“Comfortable things.”
“You bought maternity clothes without asking?”
He hesitated.
“Lily helped.”
“That explains the pink dress.”
“There may be stars.”
Norah laughed.
He looked relieved to hear it.
Then silence returned.
“Sofia chose you.”
Norah looked at him.
“You already knew I cared about Lily.”
“I didn’t understand why.”
“She was easy to love.”
“And me?”
The question surprised her.
Dominic looked almost embarrassed.
“Was I part of the assignment?”
“No.”
His gaze dropped.
“That may be worse.”
Norah stepped closer.
“You were the complication.”
A restrained smile appeared.
“I can live with that.”
She looked toward the city.
“Do you still love Sofia?”
Dominic answered without hesitation.
“Yes.”
Norah’s chest tightened.
Then he continued.
“I always will.”
She appreciated the truth.
“But loving someone who died doesn’t mean everything inside you dies with them.”
Norah looked back.
Dominic stepped closer.
“Whatever happened in that safe room wasn’t grief.”
Her breathing changed.
“It wasn’t obligation.”
Another step.
“And this…”
He glanced at her stomach.
“…isn’t the reason I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Norah swallowed.
“Dominic.”
“I’m trying to be honest.”
“You’re terrifying when emotionally healthy.”
“That’s disappointing.”
She laughed.
He touched her cheek.
Slow enough that she could refuse.
She did not.
Then the terrace door opened.
Luca.
Naturally.
Dominic closed his eyes.
“What?”
“We found Vivienne.”
“Where?”
“Not where you’d expect.”
Dominic removed his hand from Norah’s face.
“Try me.”
“She’s downstairs.”
Norah stared.
“In the house?”
“She walked to the front gate alone.”
Dominic’s entire body hardened.
“Search her.”
“Done.”
“Weapons?”
“None.”
“Explosives?”
“No.”
“Tracker?”
“No.”
“Then why is she here?”
Luca looked toward Norah.
“She says Carlo Orsini is going to kill Norah before the baby reaches viability.”
The terrace went silent.
Dominic’s eyes became ice.
“And Vivienne wants to help?”
“That’s what she claims.”
They met her in the formal drawing room.
Vivienne was elegant, silver-blond, and exhausted.
Nothing like Norah expected.
Dominic did not sit.
“You have thirty seconds.”
Vivienne looked at him.
“Sofia was right about me.”
Lily’s aunt did not deny the theft.
She had stolen money.
Sold medical information.
Helped Carlo build his network.
“But I did not kill my sister.”
Dominic’s voice lowered.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
Vivienne looked at Norah.
“But you need to believe something else.”
“What?”
“Carlo poisoned Sofia because she discovered our operation.”
Dominic stepped forward.
Vivienne did not flinch.
“I found out after she died.”
“You stayed with him.”
“He had evidence on me.”
“You mean you protected yourself.”
“Yes.”
The honesty was ugly.
Useful.
Vivienne continued.
“Carlo learned about Norah’s pregnancy before I did.”
“How?”
“The clinic.”
“He took Dr. Aris.”
“I helped her escape.”
Norah stared.
“Why?”
Vivienne’s eyes filled.
“Because I failed my sister.”
She looked toward Lily’s photograph on the mantel.
“I’m not failing her children too.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“Children?”
Vivienne nodded toward Norah’s stomach.
“Sofia’s trust was amended after Lily’s birth.”
Dominic frowned.
“If Dominic has another biological child, Lily’s controlling share changes.”
Norah’s stomach dropped.
“Meaning?”
“Carlo loses access to the voting structure he has been manipulating through shell companies.”
Dominic understood.
“My son destroys his leverage.”
“Yes.”
“Then Carlo wants the baby dead.”
Vivienne looked at Norah.
“No.”
A cold feeling moved through her.
Vivienne’s next words were worse.
“He wants the baby alive.”
Dominic went still.
“Why?”
“Because if Norah dies during childbirth and Dominic is removed afterward…”
She paused.
“…Carlo believes he can control both children through the trust.”
Norah instinctively covered her stomach.
Dominic moved in front of her.
Vivienne whispered:
“He doesn’t want to kill your son.”
May you like
Her face became pale.
“He wants to take him.”
