Chapter 1 - Shattered Silence
David pressed his trembling fingers against Clara’s wrist, desperate for a pulse. His heart hammered in his throat as the dispatcher’s monotonous voice droned through the receiver, demanding details he could barely assemble. Before him, Clara lay pale and still on the plush white carpet, her denim overalls rising and falling with only faint, shallow breaths. Her right hand rested limply over the slight swell of her four-month pregnant belly. Every second felt stretched thin, suffocating and cruel.
Behind him stood Elena, her dark eyes flashing with manic triumph. Her emerald sweater billowed slightly as she adjusted her posture, crossing her arms over her chest. There was not a trace of remorse on her face. Instead, a twisted, bitter smile played on her lips. She had sneaked into the house under the pretense of borrowing family financial records, only to corner Clara with vicious accusations regarding their late father’s estate. When Clara refused to argue and turned away, Elena had shoved her backward with brutal force.
""You're wasting your breath, little brother,"" Elena scoffed, her voice cutting through the heavy silence of the foyer. ""Hang up the phone. She tripped. She lost her balance because she’s clumsy. Tell the operator you panicked, or I swear I’ll tell everyone how unstable you two really are.""
David rose to his feet slowly, his jaw locked so tightly his teeth ached. He didn't blink. The grief in his eyes hardened into pure, glacial fury. ""She didn't trip, Elena. I watched you shove her. I saw your hands push her shoulders.""
""Who will believe you?"" Elena laughed, taking a slow step toward the arched entryway leading to the front door. ""Our mother adores me. The family board answers to me. It's your word against mine, David. And you’ve always been the emotional failure of the family.""
Sirens wailed in the far distance, faint at first, then rapidly growing louder as they tore through the quiet suburban afternoon. David lowered the phone, not once taking his eyes off his sister.
""She is carrying your niece or nephew,"" David said, his voice deadly quiet.
May you like
""She carries a threat to my inheritance,"" Elena spat back under her breath, turning toward the door as red and blue flashing lights painted the entryway walls.
David knelt beside Clara again, stroking her cold cheek. Just as the front door handle jiggled and heavy boots rushed toward the porch, Clara’s eyelashes fluttered. Her lips parted, exhaling a soft, agonizing whimper before a streak of bright crimson soaked through the hem of her white shirt.
