A week had passed since the chaos at the hospital. The penthouse lounge was quiet. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Amari’s injuries were healing faster than any doctor had predicted. The Dale family’s private physicians had used advanced therapies to accelerate bone regeneration. Her ribs were still tender, and she walked with a slight limp, but she could move on her own now. She sat on the thick, cream-colored rug, wearing a soft cashmere sweatsuit. Ghost lay on his back beside her, batting lazily at a ball of yarn.
For the first time in weeks, a small, genuine smile touched Amari’s lips.
Evalyn watched from her wheelchair. The sight of her daughter playing—safe, warm, and slowly recovering—was a balm on her raw nerves. A fragile peace settled in her chest, a feeling so unfamiliar it was almost painful.
The quiet hum of the private elevator broke the silence. The stainless-steel doors slid open.
Constance walked out, her posture perfect as always. Behind her was a woman in a sharp, tailored suit and a young girl in a frilly pink dress.
"Evalyn," Constance said, her voice smooth and calm. "Your sister-in-law, Silas, has come to visit. And she's brought her daughter, Lola, to meet Amari."
Silas smiled, but the expression didn't reach her cold, appraising eyes. "A little family icebreaker," she said.
Evalyn’s hand tightened on the armrest of her wheelchair.
Lola, who looked to be about five, stepped forward. Her eyes scanned the massive room, then landed on Amari. Her upper lip curled into a sneer.
She turned to Silas, her voice loud and piercing. "Why is this dirty little kid in my uncle's house?"
The air froze.
Silas placed a hand on Lola’s shoulder, a gesture that looked like a reprimand but wasn’t. "Now, now, Lola. Be nice." There was a flicker of approval in her eyes before it was gone. She looked at Evalyn. "Kids say the darndest things. Don’t mind her."
Amari’s smile vanished. She instinctively hugged Ghost.
Lola walked toward her and pointed at the yarn. "That’s for cats. It’s not a toy for poor people."
She snatched the yarn from Amari’s hands and threw it against the wall.
Amari’s breath hitched. She slowly rose to her feet, using the edge of the sofa for balance. Her ribs twinged, but she ignored it. She took a step to retrieve the yarn.
Lola stuck her foot out.
Amari’s ankle caught on Lola’s shoe. She stumbled, her arms flailing. She managed to catch herself on the back of a chair before she could fall, her heart hammering.
She looked up, her eyes wide and terrified, finding her mother’s gaze across the room.
A cold, sharp fury cut through Evalyn’s weakness. Her voice, when she spoke, was low and raspy but sliced through the tension like a razor.
"Silas," she said, her eyes locked on her sister-in-law. "Control your dog. Before it learns what happens when it bites."
Silas’s smile dropped. "Excuse me? Lola is just a child."
"She’s a weapon," Evalyn countered. "And you’re a coward for using her."
Seeing the adults argue, Lola turned back to Amari with a vicious sneer. "My mommy says your mommy is a cripple. And you’re just a bastard nobody wants."
Amari’s face crumpled. "My mommy is not! And I’m not!"
Ghost arched his back. A guttural hiss ripped from his throat.
Lola shrieked and scrambled behind Silas’s legs.
Silas’s face was red with fury. She glared at Evalyn. "Look at what you’ve brought into this house! A feral child and a wild animal!"
Constance stepped between them. "Silas. That is enough. If you and Lola cannot be civil, you can leave."
Silas scoffed, grabbed Lola’s hand, and pulled her toward the elevator.
Amari ran to Evalyn’s wheelchair and buried her face in her mother’s lap.
Evalyn wrapped her arms around her daughter, her eyes cold as granite.
Ghost picked up the discarded yarn and dropped it at Amari’s feet.
Later that evening, Constance sat with Evalyn. "The boys have been asking to see Amari," she said. "Kian, Julian, and Ridge. They’re Elwin’s sons—your nephews. They’ve been at boarding school in Switzerland. Barron thought it best to wait until Amari was stronger before introducing them."
Evalyn nodded slowly. "Let her rest a few more days. Then… maybe a video call."
