— They don’t know yet. But the police are looking for the stepmother.
Evelyn’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her bag. She had never left a witness before. Never. That boy was supposed to be under the ice. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. The smart thing to do was to leave. To disappear into a new city with a new name.
But she looked at the news alert on her own phone. It listed the hospital, the boy’s condition, the ongoing investigation. For the first time in her career, her life was on the line. Leo was the only link. As long as he could speak, she was a hunted woman. She couldn’t just leave. She had to finish the job. She had to go back.
Arthur hadn’t slept in forty-eight hours. He sat by Leo’s bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his son’s chest. Outside the door, two uniformed officers stood guard. It should have felt secure, but the air in the hospital felt heavy. She was coming. He knew it.
As if answering his thoughts, his phone buzzed. An unknown number. Arthur answered it slowly.
— How is my little boy? — Evelyn’s voice was ice-cold, stripped of the sweet, maternal tone she had used for months.
Arthur’s grip on the phone tightened.
— You were never his mother, — he hissed.
He heard a short, sharp laugh on the other end.
— It’s a shame you only realized that now, Arthur. You were so easy. Too busy with your mergers and acquisitions to notice what was happening right under your nose. The boy was terrified of me, and you never even looked at him.
Arthur remained silent, his heart pounding.
— I suppose you’re wondering why I chose you, — she continued. — You were the perfect mark. Rich, influential, and completely oblivious. It was almost too easy.
— You’re sick, — he whispered.
— Maybe, — she said flippantly. — Но now I have a loose end to tie up. Your son survived. That’s a problem.
— The police are everywhere, — Arthur said, trying to keep his voice steady. — They know who you are. You don’t have a chance.
— Do you really believe that?
