Chapter 2: The Name That Changed Everything
Owen didn't answer.
He just stood there, staring at the floor.
"Owen." My voice came out low.
Controlled.
Scarier than if I'd screamed.
"Who is that woman holding my son?"
Gloria moved toward me.
"Valerie, let me explain—"
"I'm not talking to you."
The photo was still on the screen.
A woman I had never seen before.
Sitting in a chair like she belonged there.
Noah in her arms.
Smiling down at him like she knew him.
"Owen.
Who is she?"
He finally looked up.
"She's family."
"She is not my family.
I have never seen her before in my life."
Gloria's voice dropped.
"She came a long way.
We couldn't just leave her out."
Something shifted in my chest.
"Who came a long way, Gloria?"
Neither of them spoke.
I looked back at the photo.
The woman's face.
The way she was holding Noah.
The way everyone around her looked completely comfortable.
Like this wasn't the first time.
"Has she held him before?"
Owen's jaw tightened.
"Valerie—"
"Has she held my son before today?"
The silence told me everything.
Then Gloria said the name.
And I felt the floor drop out from under me.
---
Valerie just learned who that woman really is — and it changes everything.
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What happens next will leave you speechless.
