Chapter 690

Nick's POV

The silence in the car was worse than anything else.

I drove without remembering the route.

Gwen sat with her hands folded in her lap, her fingers moving now and then like she was counting something invisible to keep herself steady.

Heartbeats.

Deadlines.

Fear.

When we got home, Bella was in the living room with Martina, sitting on the floor drawing.

When she saw us, she looked up and smiled.

Small.

Real.

The kind of joy that wrecked me because it had no idea what was coming.

"Daddy!" She jumped up and ran to me with that pure, instinctive sense of belonging I crouched down and hugged her, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Hey, baby." Martina looked at me, then at Gwen, reading the news in our faces.

She didn't ask.She just stood slowly and touched my shoulder.

A silent I'm here.

It took me a full minute to find words that didn't taste like panic.

"Bella...can you come with me for a minute?" I asked.

She nodded like it

started up

had

sat on the

climbed up beside

started, hating

things are going to be...different for a little while." Bella

I took a

Then another.

hold the world in

with Mommy for a few days."

But heavy.

Bella blinked.

tightened.I looked at her face and felt the

sweetheart," I said

with me," she said, and her voice carried

I felt Gwen's presence in the

followed us up but stayed outside, not stepping in.Not intruding.I saw the way she stiffened for a second.Martina appeared in the hallway too, quiet, watching the way mothers do when they see their child

now, like she'd

be just me and Mommy." Gwen stepped fully into the room then, her entire

you two?" she

at Gwen the way a child looks at someone who exists in the room but doesn't

us." My stomach dropped.I looked at Gwen.She

an innocent

It had shape.

Direction.

Intention.

trying

My throat

that why you told the man...the man in the suit...that you liked staying at Mommy's house

have: "And I'm not Gwen's." Gwen walked closer and crouched down in front of her,

took for her

to look like she was

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