Chapter 4 - The Memory Card.
Claire stepped into Dominic's path so fast that Mia woke and began to cry against her shoulder.
Dominic stopped inches from her.
His face was red, but his eyes were fixed on the memory card in Leo's hand.
"Give that to me."
Leo backed behind the sofa.
Claire handed Mia to Rachel's assistant, who had arrived with two document boxes and entered through the front door just as the shouting began.
Then Claire faced Dominic with both hands free.
"You will not go near him."
"It's my camera."
"Then you can explain what is on it."
Dominic lowered his voice.
"Claire, don't turn this into something insane."
"My son says you planned to erase evidence."
"He's five."
"And you just tried to rush him for the card."
Nathan stared at his brother with open disgust.
Sienna moved toward the front door.
Rachel entered behind her assistant and blocked the way without touching her.
"No one is being detained," Rachel said, "but I strongly suggest nobody removes company property or destroys records."
Claire took the card from Leo and slid it into Rachel's laptop.
There were dozens of short clips from the kitchen security camera Dominic had installed after a package theft the previous winter.
The first videos looked ordinary.
Leo eating breakfast.
Evelyn feeding Mia.
Sienna walking through the kitchen in Claire's robe.
Claire's breath caught, but she kept watching.
Then the date changed to that afternoon.
Leo was standing on a stool beside the untouched birthday cake.
He looked excited.
Sienna entered, pulled the cake toward herself, and pushed Leo's hands away when he tried to stop her.
"Mom said we wait for dinner," Leo said on the recording.
Sienna laughed.
"Your mom isn't here."
Dominic appeared carrying wine.
Leo looked at him for help.
"Dad, tell her."
Dominic did not defend him.
Instead, he lifted Leo off the stool by one arm.
Claire heard herself inhale sharply.
On-screen, Leo cried out.
Dominic carried him toward the pantry.
"You want to act like an animal, you can sit in a cage."
Rachel immediately paused the video.
No one spoke.
Claire's hands shook so badly she had to place them flat on the table.
Dominic's expression had gone blank.
"It looks worse than it was."
Claire turned slowly.
"You locked him in a pantry."
"For five minutes."
Nathan whispered, "Jesus."
Claire pressed play again.
The timestamp showed forty-three minutes passing before Leo reappeared.
His face was wet with tears.
The next clip showed the ruined cake.
Leo had stumbled when Sienna blocked him from reaching Mia's dropped pacifier.
His shoulder struck the island.
The cake fell.
Sienna screamed at him.
Dominic grabbed Leo again.
Then Evelyn walked into frame and said words Claire knew she would hear in nightmares.
"Hit him once if you have to."
Claire stopped the video.
Evelyn's face drained of color.
"I didn't mean—"
A heavy crash came from the office.
May you like
Everyone turned.
Smoke began sliding under the closed door.
