Chapter 1 - YOUR BROTHER’S CHILD
Vanessa Hart slapped Elena Cruz across the face.
Then slapped her again.
Elena stumbled into the marble counter and wrapped one arm around her seven-month belly.
“Dirty little maid!”
“Please—stop!”
Vanessa grabbed her upper arm and shoved her down onto her knees.
Elena curled forward, protecting her stomach.
Vanessa struck her shoulder with an open hand.
“You’re filth!”
Then she pointed at Elena’s belly.
“And that baby is filth too!”
Elena’s face collapsed.
“Please. Leave my baby alone.”
Vanessa dragged her partly upright and shoved her against the cabinet.
Pain tightened across Elena’s abdomen.
She gasped and sank lower.
“I’m already in pain.”
“Then get out of my house!”
Vanessa raised her hand again.
A man’s voice exploded from the hallway.
“Enough!”
Daniel Hart crossed the kitchen in three strides, caught Vanessa’s wrist, and pulled her away.
She spun toward him.
“Daniel!”
He stepped between the women.
“Don’t touch her again.”
Then he dropped beside Elena.
“Can you breathe?”
“Yes.”
“Any sharp pain?”
“I don’t know.”
Her hand never left her belly.
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Vanessa pointed.
“Why are you defending her?”
Daniel slowly stood.
“She’s just a filthy maid!”
He looked at his wife.
“You really don’t know?”
Vanessa froze.
Daniel pointed toward Elena’s stomach.
“That’s your brother’s child.”
All color left Vanessa’s face.
“My brother?”
Elena closed her eyes.
The secret was over.
Vanessa looked from Elena to Daniel.
Then back.
“No.”
Daniel did not blink.
“Yes.”
“No. Adrian would never—”
Elena whispered:
“Vanessa…”
“Don’t say my name!”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Your brother is the father.”
Vanessa’s mouth opened.
Then she whispered something that changed the entire room.
“He told me that woman was gone.”
Elena looked up.
Daniel’s face changed too.
“What woman?”
Vanessa stared at him.
May you like
For the first time, her anger looked like fear.
And Daniel realized there was another secret Adrian had never told him.
