They had spent the whole summer acting careful. My mother clipped coupons in front of me and sighed over grocery prices. My father shook his head when I suggested one quiet weekend away together, like I had asked him to buy a second house instead of share a motel room and a diner breakfast. “This summer we’re staying in,” Mom told me. “It’s just too much.” I believed her because believing them had become a reflex, even after years of little disappointments. They knew I kept one reserve account for emergencies, and they knew my health was the reason I guarded it like oxygen. At 3:08 in the morning, my phone buzzed hard enough to wake me. The notification said $9,860 had been withdrawn from my reserve fund. I sat up so fast the room tilted, opened the banking app, and watched my own life turn into someone else’s vacation. There were first-class flights to Mykonos. There was a luxury suite, a private driver, designer shops, spa treatments, and restaurant holds that cost more than my rent. Every charge use

“Am I still in labor?”

“You are at risk of progressing again. We’re admitting you for observation.”

“Will the baby be all right?”

“At thirty-four weeks, outcomes are generally encouraging. But I’m not making promises yet. We watch carefully. We respond to what your body tells us.”

Audrey appreciated the directness.

“Can someone stay with me?”

“Of course.”

After the doctor left, Diana returned carrying a paper cup of tea.

She placed it on the table.

“Your purse was found.”

“And the key?”

“Still inside.”

“Then how did someone use it?”

“We don’t know yet. The technical team is checking the access log.”

Audrey studied Diana’s face.

“What happened at the estate?”

“Do you want the official version or the honest one?”

“The honest one.”

“It was chaotic.”

Audrey almost smiled, but the expression faded quickly.

“Was anyone arrested?”

“Julian and Beatrice were taken in for questioning. The winery’s chief financial officer was arrested at his home. Two computers were removed from the estate office.”

“And Seraphina?”

“She was not arrested.”

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