Chapter 291
Isolde leaned forward instantly. “Effie? Baby, wake up.”
Effie’s eyes flew open — wide and unseeing, trapped in the nightmare.
She let out a blood-curdling scream.
“Daddy!” Effie shrieked, her good hand clawing at the air. “Daddy, help! Catch me!”
𝗪𝗵а𝘵 𝘦𝘃𝗲𝘳𝘆𝗼𝗇e 𝗶𝘀 r𝖾𝗮𝖽𝗂𝗇g 𝗼𝗻 𝘨a𝘭𝗻𝘰𝗏𝘦𝘭𝘀.со𝗆
Isolde’s heart shattered. She threw her arms around Effie and pulled the small, trembling body against her chest.
“Shh, shh, I’m here,” Isolde murmured, burying her face in Effie’s hair. “Mommy’s here. You’re safe.”
Effie sobbed, her tears soaking Isolde’s shirt. “I want Daddy. Why didn’t he catch me? He was right there.”
Isolde closed her eyes. The pain in her chest was so intense she could barely breathe.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. No missed calls. No texts asking how Effie was doing. She opened the blocked contacts list, unblocked Grayson’s number, and typed a message.
She’s awake. She had a night terror. She’s crying and asking for you. Come to the room.
She hit send. She held Effie, rocking her slowly, watching the digital clock on the wall.
Ten minutes passed. No reply.
Twenty minutes. Effie’s sobs turned into exhausted hiccups.
Thirty minutes. The status beneath the message changed to Read.
Isolde stared at the screen. He had seen it.
Five minutes later, the typing bubble appeared. Then a reply.
Belle is having a severe panic attack. She feels terrible about the accident. I can’t leave her alone right now. Tell Effie I love her. I’ll see her tomorrow.
Isolde stared at the glowing words. Her vision tunneled.
He chose her.
His five-year-old daughter was in a hospital bed with broken bones and a concussion, screaming for him in the dark. And he chose to stay in a luxury penthouse comforting the woman who had caused the injuries. He chose the abuser over the victim.
The door to the hospital room clicked open.
Isolde looked up, expecting a nurse.
It was Victoria Lancaster — Grayson’s mother, wearing a dark cashmere coat over her nightgown, looking older and more fragile than usual. She walked in quietly. “I heard what happened from Liam. How is she?”
Isolde didn’t speak. She turned her phone around and held the screen up for Victoria to read.
Victoria squinted at the bright light in the dark room. Her face tightened as she read. She looked away, her jaw working.
“He has responsibilities, Isolde,” Victoria began, her voice weak. “Belle is… fragile. She has a history of anxiety.”
Isolde gently laid Effie back against the pillows and stood up.
“Your granddaughter is in a cast, Victoria,” Isolde whispered, her voice a lethal hiss. “She has a brain injury. Belle is in a penthouse drinking wine and hyperventilating for attention.”
“Isolde, please,” Victoria pleaded, wringing her hands. “Don’t be harsh. Family is complicated. Grayson is just trying to manage a difficult situation.”
“If you are going to defend him,” Isolde said, pointing to the door, “you can leave too.”
Victoria sighed — a long, defeated sound. “You can’t cut him out completely, Isolde. He is her father.”
.
.