Chapter 6

• Aria's POV
• The doors burst open. Dominic strode in, his face murderous, with Chase right on his heels.
• "Dom!" Jasmine sobbed, clutching Luca to her chest as she pointed a shaking finger at me.
• "I caught her! I saw her putting powder in his milk! She's unhinged, Dominic! She has a criminal record for assault. She's a violent felon! Call the police! Send her back to prison before she kills him!"
• The sunroom descended into chaos. The guards at the door reached for their weapons. Maria gripped the arms of her chair, her blind eyes wide.
• My eyes were rimmed red, filled with a mother's protective fury.
• I stood my ground, my chest heaving, refusing to let go of the bottle in my hand. I stared straight at Jasmine, silently promising her that if my son was hurt, I would tear her apart with my bare hands.
• Dominic's eyes swept the room. They bypassed his hysterical wife. They bypassed his confused grandmother.
• They locked onto me.
• He looked at my shaking hands, the death grip I had on the baby bottle, and the raw, absolute devastation on my face.
• Dominic held his hand out toward me, his voice a lethal, terrifyingly calm command that silenced the entire room.
• "Give me the bottle." He didn't blink. He turned his head slightly to his assistant. "Chase. Lock down the estate. Nobody leaves. And pull the security footage from the nursery for the last forty-eight hours."
• I handed Dominic the plastic bottle. Our fingers brushed. His skin was ice cold.
• "A doctor," I choked out, ignoring Jasmine's fake sobs. "Please. Look at him. He is too pale. Get a doctor for Luca first. The cameras do not matter right now."
• Jasmine clutched the baby tighter to her chest. "Don't listen to her, Dom! She wants a doctor to cover her tracks! She is dangerous!"
• Dominic stared at me. His jaw locked. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
• "Dr. Evans. Get to the estate. Five minutes." He ended the call and handed the bottle to Chase. "Take this to the lab."
• We waited in the main living room.
• The doctor went upstairs to check Luca. Jasmine paced the floor, crying loud, dramatic tears.
• I stood by the large glass window, my arms wrapped around myself. My chest ached. I just wanted my son to be okay.
• Chase walked into the room. His face was grim.
• "Boss," Chase said. "The nursery cameras went dark at 1:00 PM. Someone wiped the local drive."
• Jasmine gasped. "She destroyed the footage!"
• I frowned. I did not know how to hack a security system.
• I looked out the window. Down by the service gates, a dark gray sedan was pulling away. The driver rolled down his window to scan a badge.
• Daniel.
• My blood ran cold. Jasmine's boyfriend. He had security clearance to visit her. He wiped the cameras.
• "Throw her out, Dominic!" Jasmine yelled. "She drugged my baby and erased the video. Send her back to jail!"
• The guards stepped closer to me. The air in the room grew thin. I had no proof. Jasmine had set the perfect trap.
• The heavy thump of a wooden cane hit the marble floor.
• Maria walked forward. The blind woman moved with purpose. She stopped right in front of me. She reached out and grabbed my right hand.
• I flinched, but she held on. Her thumbs rubbed over my palms. She felt the thick calluses from years of waitressing and prison laundry.
• "Nonna, get away from her," Jasmine pleaded.
• Maria ignored her. She turned her sightless eyes toward her grandson.
• "The person who drugged my Luca had a heart beating like a drum," Maria said, her voice dry and firm. "You smelled like fear, Jasmine. But this girl..."
• Maria squeezed my rough hand.
• "This girl has the hands of someone who works. She only asked for a doctor. She genuinely cares for Luca. Dominic, are you blind?"
• Silence filled the room. Jasmine turned pale.
• Dominic looked from his grandmother to me. He raised a hand. The guards stepped back.
• Midnight. The estate was dark. Dr. Evans had cleared Luca, saying the dose was small and he would sleep it off.
• I sat on the edge of my small bed, staring at the blank wall.
• The door handle turned.
• Dominic stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. The room was small, and his massive frame took up all the space.
• He did not yell. He did not ask about the sleeping pills.
• He tossed a thick manila folder onto my mattress.
• I looked down. It had the Lockwood Correctional logo stamped on the front.
• "I read your prison file," Dominic said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Who did you take the fall for?"