The room fell silent as soon as I entered. I saw my husband, Edward, with his jaw clenched, Tristan's demeanour resembling an impending storm, and Ellie, my sweet Ellie, standing in the centre, pale and fragile.
I had heard whispers in the hallway and noticed the worried glances exchanged by the staff. That was enough to prompt me to step into the heart of a conversation I hadn't been invited to.
"Tell me what's happening," I said softly, sweeping my gaze across the three of them. But my tone was more demanding than it was polite.
Edward turned toward me, his face set in a stony expression. For years, I had recognised that mask, that unyielding and merciless facade, but tonight, I noticed a crack in it. His silence spoke volumes. Something dangerous had come too close.
My gaze found Ellie again. She was trying to stand tall, her chin lifted, as girls often do when they refuse to show fear. Brave. Too brave. It shattered something inside me because she shouldn't have to be.
I stepped closer and laid my hand gently over Ellie's. Her skin felt cold against my touch. "You're trembling," I murmured, though she shook her head in denial.
Finally, Edward spoke, his voice low. "There's been a breach. Someone is inside."
I tightened my grip on Ellie's hand. Inside. That meant every corner of this house, which she had once found comforting, could now hide a threat.
"Then you need to reinforce the walls," I said to Edward, my tone steady. "But you will not allow this child to bear the weight of your war."
Edward's eyes flickered, but he didn't argue. He knew better than to challenge me when it came to the children, whether they were mine by blood or not.
-
Tristan's mother, Marie, grounded me with her touch, though I hadn't realised how much I needed it until her fingers wrapped around mine. For years, she had treated me like a daughter, welcoming me at dinners, teasing Sophia when she clung to me, and always making me feel like I belonged.
But now, her gaze conveyed something new. It was not just warmth; there was an almost fierce protectiveness in her eyes.
"I don't want to be a burden," I whispered before I could stop myself.
Marie's lips curled into the faintest smile, but her eyes remained serious. "A burden? Oh, Ellie." She squeezed my hand gently. "You are family here. Don't ever think otherwise."
Her words sank deep within me, spreading warmth through the chill that had been gnawing at me since Edward's warning. Family. Even as shadows loomed, she reminded me that I wasn't standing alone.
Yet, with her kindness, I could sense the worry she tried to hide wasn't so much about my leaving, but rather about me staying.
Edward's voice broke the silence, heavy and final. "Family is what makes us strong. But family is also how they'll try to break us."
The truth of his words settled in the air like smoke. I wasn't just someone passing through their home anymore. By loving Tristan and stepping into their lives, I had become both a shield and a target.
And there was no turning back.
That night, as Ellie tried to sleep, a shadow passed beneath her window, showing proof that the breach was closer than any of them had feared.