The darkness did not last long.
Lucia's pulse hammered in her ears as Dominic's arm came up in front of her, his body instinctively shielding hers, his other hand already closing around the weapon concealed in the desk drawer.
The emergency lights flickered once.
A dim red glow bled into the room.
Just enough to turn everything into shadows.
Just enough to reveal her.
Vivienne Laurent stood a few feet away from the crib.
Perfectly composed.
As if she had always belonged there.
Lucia's breath caught.
For one sharp second, every calculation in her mind vanished under a single, primal instinct.
Dominic saw it too.
He stepped forward, placing himself fully between Vivienne and the child, his weapon now visible at his side.
"You've made a mistake," Dominic said, his voice low and lethal.
Vivienne's gaze moved to him.
She did not flinch.
"If I had," she said smoothly, "I would not be standing here."
Lucia's voice cut through the tension, controlled and cold.
