Chapter 4 — The House With No Locks

Leo Moretti’s estate stood among forty wooded acres north of the city. The stone mansion was elegant without being warm. Cameras hid beneath the eaves.

Security vehicles patrolled the perimeter, and every entrance required coded access. Chloe’s second-floor suite had heated floors, a private balcony, and a bathtub large enough to float in.

It also had no lock on the outside. Leo had kept his promise.

At first they barely saw each other. He left before sunrise and returned long after dinner. Chloe spent her days reading, walking through the gardens, and arguing with Vincent about security rules.

By her sixth month, the baby had discovered her ribs and treated them as a personal drum set.

One rainy night, Chloe woke at three in the morning with a sharp ache in her lower back. Unable to sleep, she went downstairs to make peppermint tea. She found Leo sitting alone in the dark kitchen.