Chapter 1: The Moment Everything Broke
Chapter 1: The Moment Everything Broke
Nathan didn’t move.
The silence in the basement was suffocating,
broken only by the faint,
uneven breathing of the children huddled against the wall.
Victoria’s lips parted,
but no words came out.
For once, she had no control over the narrative.
Nathan stepped forward slowly,
his eyes never leaving her.
“What… is this?” he asked,
his voice dangerously calm.
The little boy tightened his arms around his sister.
“Please… don’t let her hurt us,” he whispered.
That was all it took.
Nathan’s restraint shattered.
He rushed forward,
pulling the children away from Victoria,
wrapping them in his arms.
They were ice-cold, trembling violently.
“How long?” he demanded,
his voice rising.
Victoria straightened, forcing a fragile version of her usual composure.
“Nathan, you don’t understand. They need discipline. They—”
“Discipline?” he snapped. “This is abuse.”
For the first time, fear flickered across her face—
May you like
not fear of being caught…
But fear of losing everything.
