Chapter1
I had barely returned from my business trip when I received the news of my daughter’s death.
The dashcam footage revealed everything our part–time nanny, Lillian, got annoyed at Bella for
crying too much.
On a scorching 100°F day, she stuffed my little girl into the trunk of a car and went shopping as if
nothing had happened.
In that sealed oven of a space, Bella’s cries grew fainter and fainter… until there was only silence.
“Nathan,” I choked, grief tearing through me, “we need to bring her to justice.”
My husband, Nathan Whitmore, held my hand tightly, his voice trembling with emotion. “Ava, I
swear–we’ll get justice for Bella.”
I believed him.
I was on my way to the police station when he pulled over, claiming he needed to grab some water
for me.
But the moment he stepped out, the car doors locked automatically.
From outside, Nathan looked at me with frightening calm.
“Lillian didn’t mean to hurt Bella. She just didn’t want to spoil her,” he said coldly.
“She’s still in college. She can’t have this kind of stain on her record. It’s just one child, Ava. You
can always have another.‘
Then I noticed–the AC was off.
The heat was rising. Sweat poured down my face as the car turned into a suffocating death trap.
My throat felt like sandpaper, and my lungs screamed for air.
That’s when I realized–Nathan wasn’t grieving. He wasn’t broken. He had already moved on.
“Give me the USB, Ava,” he said, tapping the window. “Hand over the dashcam footage, and I’ll let
you out.”
When I refused, he grabbed my phone too–cutting off my last line of defense,
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Just hours ago, this man held my hand and promised to fight for our daughter.
And now… he was protecting the woman who killed her.
I slammed my fists against the window, voice hoarse, tears mixing with sweat.
“Nathan, look at me! Look at what I’m going through–this is exactly how Bella died. Alone. In the heat. Begging for someone to save her.”
“You were her father. Her favorite person in the world! How could you let her killer go free?!”
His gaze turned icy. “I told you. Don’t ever call Lillian a killer again.”
“Bella cried all the time because of you! Lillian was only trying to help.”
“She didn’t even take her to school–she went shopping!”
“So what? Bella’s in first grade. A few hours late won’t kill her. Lillian works hard. She deserves a
break.”
The more he spoke, the more the cold horror settled into my bones.
To him, Bella’s life was disposable. Lillian’s reputation mattered more than justice.
My fists pounded harder on the glass until my hands were raw and bleeding.
“You listen to me, Nathan,” I screamed, “I won’t let Lillian get away with this unless I’m dead in this car today!”
Just as the world started to blur and my body began to shut down, the door finally unlocked. Cold air
rushed in as he turned the AC back on.
Nathan leaned over me, jaw tight.
“You’re so damn stubborn, Ava,” he said. “You brought this on yourself.”
When I came to, I was outside my mother’s hospital room.
Nathan gripped the back of my neck and shoved my face against the glass.
Inside, my mother was screaming as two security guards pinned her down, shoving her head
toward an active microwave.
The dial clicked.
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I could already smell the burning hair.
I lunged at Nathan, screaming, “You’re insane! That’s my mother!”
He didn’t flinch. Instead, he leaned down and kissed my bloodied fingers.
“Ava, I couldn’t let you die,” he murmured with a smirk. “But your mother… she’s a fair substitute.”
“Give me the USB, or her brain ends up splattered across that microwave.”
From inside, I heard her sobbing, “It burns! Please, let me go!”
My heart cracked in two. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“The USB is in my phone case,” I whispered. “Just let her go.”
He retrieved it, called off the guards, and then tilted my chin up smugly.
“You’ve got no evidence now, Ava. You can’t touch Lillian. And just so you know–I’ve already made it clear to every attorney in Riverton: no one’s allowed to take your case.”
Then, in front of me, he dropped the USB into the drain.
I always assumed Lillian would try to steal the footage. That’s why I kept it on me. I never made a backup.
But I never imagined the ma
n who would destroy it… would be my husband.
He didn’t just protect her–he used my mother’s life as leverage.
Was Bella’s killer really getting away with it?
As I turned to check on my mother, Nathan grabbed my wrist again.
“Lillian felt bad you were grieving,” he said, “so she helped arrange Bella’s memorial. We should
go now.”
“Just remember–her death was an accident. I’ve already talked to Lillian. Don’t say anything to upset her again.”
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