Chapter 3 — The Baby's Broken Arm
Chapter 3 — The Baby's Broken Arm
The doctor closed the examination-room door behind him.
For several seconds, he didn't speak.
Victor stood beside Ethan's hospital bed.
Lily sat in the corner, both hands wrapped around a paper cup of untouched water.
Serena was gone.
Victor had ordered security to keep her away from the hospital.
But Lily could still hear her voice in her head.
Nannies disappear.
Nobody will believe you.
You think anyone will choose you over me?
Lily looked at Ethan.
His tiny arm was wrapped in a white cast.
He was sleeping now.
Peacefully.
As though his body had forgotten the terror of the night.
The doctor finally spoke.
“Mr. Blackwood, Ethan has a displaced fracture of the left radius.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“How serious?”
“Serious enough that we had to reduce the fracture under sedation.”
Lily swallowed.
The doctor continued.
“He was fortunate.”
Victor stared at him.
“Fortunate?”
“Yes.”
The doctor's voice was careful.
“The injury could have been significantly worse.”
Victor's jaw tightened.
“What could have happened?”
“If the force had been greater, there could have been nerve damage.”
“And if it had been slightly different?”
“A more complicated fracture.”
Victor waited.
The doctor looked at Ethan.
“Or permanent impairment.”
Silence.
Lily closed her eyes.
Victor's hand slowly curled into a fist.
“Will he recover completely?”
“We expect a full recovery.”
Victor finally exhaled.
“And the other injuries?”
The doctor looked toward Lily.
“His bruising is consistent with more than an accidental fall.”
Victor's eyes moved to her.
“What does that mean?”
“It means someone needs to look closely at his medical history.”
The doctor opened a folder.
“There are several notes here that concern me.”
Victor stepped closer.
“What notes?”
“Bruising.”
“How many incidents?”
The doctor hesitated.
“Four that I can identify.”
Lily's stomach dropped.
Victor looked at her.
“You said three.”
“I didn't know about the fourth.”
The doctor nodded.
“The previous notes describe each incident as accidental.”
Victor looked at the medical file.
“Who wrote them?”
The doctor gave him a name.
“Dr. Miriam Keller.”
Victor's expression changed.
“She was Serena's recommendation.”
Lily felt cold.
The doctor looked at Victor.
“That doesn't prove anything.”
“No.”
Victor closed the folder.
“But it gives me another question.”
“What?”
“Who changed the original records?”
Ethan woke an hour later.
His eyes opened slowly.
He looked confused.
Then frightened.
Lily immediately stood.
“Hey.”
She leaned over him.
“It's okay.”
Ethan's lower lip trembled.
“Lily…”
“I'm here.”
He reached for her.
She took his hand.
His fingers tightened around hers.
Victor stood on the other side of the bed.
Ethan looked at him.
“Daddy.”
Victor bent down.
“I'm here, buddy.”
Ethan's eyes moved toward his cast.
He began crying.
Victor looked helpless for a moment.
Then he carefully touched his son's hair.
“It's going to be okay.”
Ethan cried harder.
Lily whispered:
“He doesn't understand.”
Victor looked at her.
“He knows something happened.”
Lily nodded.
She had spent six months learning Ethan's expressions.
She knew what his cries meant.
Hungry.
Tired.
Lonely.
Frightened.
Pain.
This was pain.
Victor seemed to understand that too.
He picked up his son carefully.
Ethan immediately buried his face against his father's chest.
Victor closed his eyes.
For a few seconds, the feared man who controlled half of Chicago looked like nothing more than a terrified father.
“I should have protected you,” he whispered.
Lily looked away.
She didn't want to intrude on that moment.
But then she heard the door open.
A nurse entered.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
Victor looked up.
“Yes?”
“There are two detectives asking to speak with you.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“Why?”
“They're investigating the incident.”
Lily froze.
Victor looked at her.
“You're staying here.”
Lily shook her head.
“I need to tell them what happened.”
“You're injured.”
“I don't care.”
Victor lowered his voice.
“Lily.”
She looked directly at him.
“If I don't tell them now, Serena will tell them first.”
Victor didn't answer.
Because she was right.
The detectives entered ten minutes later.
Detective Harris was a woman in her fifties.
Her partner, Detective Cole, carried a notebook.
Neither looked intimidated by Victor.
That impressed Lily.
Detective Harris pulled up a chair.
“We understand Mr. Blackwood's son was injured last night.”
“Yes,” Victor said.
“We need statements from everyone present.”
Victor looked at Lily.
“You don't have to do this.”
Lily shook her head.
“Yes, I do.”
Detective Harris looked at her.
“Are you the nanny?”
“Yes.”
“Were you present when the child was injured?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Lily took a breath.
And began.
“I was upstairs preparing Ethan's medication.”
“How long were you away?”
“Less than a minute.”
“Then what?”
“I heard him crying.”
“Was that unusual?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“He was teething.”
“Continue.”
“I came downstairs.”
Lily's hands began shaking.
“He was on the floor.”
“Who else was there?”
“Serena.”
“Ms. Montigue?”
“Yes.”
“What was she doing?”
“She was holding Ethan by his left arm.”
Detective Harris looked up.
“Describe how.”
“Her hand was around his wrist.”
“And Ethan?”
“He was screaming.”
“Did you see her hurt him?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly what did you see?”
Lily looked at Ethan.
Then at Victor.
Then back at the detective.
“She pulled his arm.”
“How hard?”
“Hard enough that his body moved.”
“Did he fall?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“I tried to take him from her.”
“Did Ms. Montigue resist?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She pushed me.”
“Did she strike you?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“My stomach.”
Detective Harris looked at the bruise.
“Then?”
“I fell.”
“And Ethan?”
“He was still crying.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I crawled toward him.”
“Did Ms. Montigue stop you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She put her foot on me.”
Lily's voice became quieter.
“She told me if I touched him again, she'd make me disappear.”
Detective Cole stopped writing.
“Those were her exact words?”
“Yes.”
“Did anyone else hear them?”
“No.”
“What happened next?”
“Victor came home.”
Detective Harris looked at Victor.
“Unexpectedly?”
“Yes.”
“And what did he see?”
Lily answered.
“Everything.”
The interview lasted almost an hour.
Lily told them about the bruises.
The threats.
The previous incidents.
The strange medical records.
The times Serena had demanded that Lily leave Ethan alone.
The way Serena became angry whenever Ethan cried.
The way she had told Lily that a nanny's word meant nothing against a wealthy woman.
She didn't exaggerate.
She didn't cry.
She didn't insult Serena.
She simply told the truth.
When she finished, Detective Harris closed her notebook.
“Thank you.”
Lily nodded.
Detective Harris looked at Victor.
“We'll need the security footage.”
“You'll have it.”
“And the child's medical records.”
“Of course.”
She stood.
Then she turned back to Lily.
“You did the right thing.”
Lily looked down.
“I almost didn't.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid.”
Detective Harris nodded.
“Most people are.”
After the detectives left, Lily remained seated.
Victor stood near the window.
Neither spoke.
Finally, he said:
“You should have told me.”
Lily looked up.
“I know.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“I mean earlier.”
Lily stared at him.
“I wanted to.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because Serena convinced me you wouldn't believe me.”
Victor turned.
“She was wrong.”
“I know that now.”
He walked toward her.
“Does she have something against you?”
Lily hesitated.
“What do you mean?”
“She seemed unusually focused on you.”
Lily looked down.
“I don't know.”
Victor studied her.
“Think.”
Lily remembered Serena's threats.
The strange conversations.
The way Serena had watched her whenever Victor was around.
Then she remembered something.
A conversation from three months earlier.
Serena had been standing in the kitchen.
Lily had walked in unexpectedly.
Serena had been speaking on the phone.
“You promised me the nanny would be gone before the wedding.”
Lily had stopped.
Serena had seen her.
The call ended immediately.
At the time, Lily had assumed it was about someone else.
Now she wasn't sure.
“I remember something.”
Victor waited.
“Three months ago, I heard Serena talking to someone.”
“What did she say?”
“She said I needed to be gone before the wedding.”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“Did she say why?”
“No.”
“Who was she speaking to?”
“I don't know.”
“Man or woman?”
“I think a man.”
Victor's expression became darker.
“Did you hear his name?”
Lily shook her head.
“But there was something else.”
“What?”
“She called him 'Uncle.'”
Victor went completely still.
“Uncle?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain?”
Lily nodded.
“She said, 'Uncle, I did everything you asked.'”
Victor stared at her.
Then he looked toward the door.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
Victor's voice dropped.
“Because Serena doesn't have an uncle.”
That evening, Victor confronted Serena.
She was in a private room at the mansion under guard.
She looked exhausted.
But when Victor entered, she immediately smiled.
“Victor.”
He closed the door.
“Who is your uncle?”
Her smile disappeared.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Lily heard you.”
Serena stared.
“Lily lies.”
“Not about this.”
Victor placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Serena entering a private club six months earlier.
Beside her was an older man.
Serena's face went pale.
“You've been following me?”
“No.”
Victor sat opposite her.
“I've been investigating you.”
She swallowed.
“Who is he?”
Serena said nothing.
Victor leaned forward.
“Who is he?”
“He's nobody.”
“Then why were you meeting him?”
Silence.
Victor's eyes hardened.
“Why was he paying you?”
Serena's breathing became uneven.
“He wasn't.”
Victor placed another document on the table.
A bank transfer.
$500,000.
From an offshore company.
To Serena.
She stared at it.
“Where did you get that?”
Victor smiled coldly.
“You really should stop underestimating me.”
Serena looked at him.
Then whispered:
“You don't understand.”
“Explain.”
“He'll kill me.”
Victor's expression didn't change.
“Who?”
Serena closed her eyes.
“The man who told me to marry you.”
Victor stared at her.
For the first time, Serena looked genuinely terrified.
“Who?” he repeated.
She shook her head.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“He'll kill me.”
“Then tell me before he gets the chance.”
Serena looked at him.
“You think you're the most powerful man in Chicago.”
Victor leaned closer.
“I know what I am.”
She whispered:
“So did he.”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“Who is he?”
Serena opened her mouth.
Before she could answer—
the lights went out.
The entire mansion plunged into darkness.
A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.
Serena screamed.
Victor stood instantly.
Security alarms began blaring.
Then another shot.
Victor looked toward the door.
His men shouted from the hallway.
“Boss!”
Victor reached for his weapon.
But before he left, he looked at Serena.
“Stay here.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Victor!”
He pulled free.
“Whoever came here tonight…”
He looked into her terrified eyes.
“…came for you.”
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
In the hallway, Lily was being escorted toward a safe room when the second explosion shook the mansion.
She stopped.
“What was that?”
The guard pushed her forward.
“Keep moving.”
“But Ethan—”
“He's already secure.”
Lily looked back.
At the end of the hallway, a shadow moved.
A man in black.
He raised a weapon.
Lily froze.
The guard shoved her behind him.
Gunfire erupted.
Lily screamed.
Then she heard Victor's voice.
“DOWN!”
She dropped.
The guard fired.
The attacker disappeared through a side door.
Silence returned.
Lily's heart hammered.
Victor appeared seconds later.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
He looked around.
“Where's Ethan?”
“Safe.”
Victor exhaled.
Then he looked toward the dark hallway.
“He wasn't here for Ethan.”
Lily stared at him.
“Then who?”
Victor looked toward Serena's room.
His expression became cold.
“Serena.”
But when they reached the room—
Serena was gone.
The window was open.
The curtains moved in the night wind.
On the floor was a single piece of paper.
Victor picked it up.
There were only seven words.
You should have left the past alone.
Lily stood beside him.
“What does it mean?”
Victor stared at the message.
“I don't know.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
A man's voice came through.
“You want Serena?”
Victor's eyes darkened.
“Who are you?”
“You'll know soon.”
“Where is she?”
A pause.
Then:
“Ask yourself why the mother of your child had to die.”
Victor went completely still.
Lily stared at him.
“What did he say?”
Victor slowly lowered the phone.
His face had changed.
“Lily…”
“Yes?”
“I think we've been looking at the wrong secret.”
“What secret?”
Victor looked toward Ethan's room.
“The truth about his mother.”
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And for the first time since the nightmare began, Lily realized that Serena might not have been the person who started this.
She might have only been the person desperate enough to finish it.
