Chapter 2 - THE BROOKS ESTATEThree days later, Claire stood behind the wrought-iron gates of the Brooks estate with Leo sleeping against her chest.
The mansion rose before her like a fortress.
Stone columns.
Endless windows.
Perfect gardens.
And an eerie silence that made the place feel less like a home than a kingdom built around secrets.
Margaret Brooks opened the door herself.
The moment she saw Leo, her hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh, my God."
Claire watched the older woman's face collapse.
Margaret reached toward the baby but stopped herself.
"Is he...?"
"Daniel's son," Claire said quietly.
Margaret began to cry.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Then Margaret whispered:
"Bring him inside."
But not everyone welcomed them.
At the marble staircase stood Arthur Brooks, Daniel's older brother.
Beside him was Victoria.
Daniel's former fiancée.
Victoria's eyes moved slowly from Claire's inexpensive coat to the baby.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't a kind smile.
"So this is the miracle child."
Claire tightened her arms around Leo.
Margaret's voice hardened.
"Victoria."
"What?" Victoria asked innocently. "I'm only asking questions."
Arthur stepped forward.
"Who performed the DNA test?"
Claire answered.
"A certified laboratory."
Arthur's expression remained cold.
"And the trust fund?"
Claire stared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Victoria laughed softly.
"Of course you don't."
That night, Claire lay awake in the enormous guest bedroom.
Leo slept beside her.
The mansion creaked around them.
Claire stared into the darkness.
She had come here hoping to give her son a family.
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Instead, she felt as though she had walked directly into a war.
And somewhere inside that house was a woman who already seemed determined to destroy her.
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