My hands were still shaking when I dialed Joseph’s number. He picked up immediately, his voice brisk and alert.
“I need to know,” I said, swallowing hard. “Where’s Sienna? Is she truly safe?”
There was movement on his end, then his voice softened. “Talk to her.”
A second later, the sound I’d been aching for filled my ears.
“Mommy?” Sienna’s tiny voice trembled, soft and unsure, like she was afraid I might disappear again.
Tears blurred my vision instantly. “Baby… Mommy’s here. Are you hurt? Did anyone scare you?”
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “Why can’t I come home? Why aren’t you with me?”
I pressed my lips together, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Because Mommy is fixing something important, sweetheart. But I promise—very soon, we’ll be together again. You just have to be brave for a little while longer, okay?”
“Promise?” she asked, her voice cracking.
“I swear it,” I said softly. “Mommy will never leave you. Just wait for me.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
My chest broke open. “I love you too, Sienna. More than anything in this world.”
The call went quiet, and then Joseph came back on the line. “You heard her. Satisfied now?”
I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. I just needed to know she was real… that she was okay.”
“Good,” he replied. “Then don’t forget our agreement. Tomorrow. Be ready.”
“I will,” I whispered, ending the call and pressing the phone against my chest like it was my last lifeline.
But the peace didn’t last.
A voice behind me sliced through the air. “Who were you talking to just now?”
I turned sharply.
Aldrin stood in the doorway, his eyes sharp, suspicious, already accusing.
I forced my lips into a smile. “I’m making funeral arrangements for Sienna. Since you won’t help me, I figured this is how it ends.”
His jaw tightened. “So that’s it? You’re giving up on her instead of begging me?”
My breath came uneven. “You want me to beg? For our daughter?”
“Yes,” he said coldly, stepping closer. “If this isn’t one of your tricks, then prove it. Kneel. Kiss my shoes if you have to. Show me you’re innocent.”
A bitter laugh escaped my throat. “No. I’m done humiliating myself for you.”
I brushed past him, but his voice boomed behind me. “You’re walking away from me now?”
“Yes,” I answered without turning back. “Because you don’t deserve to be Sienna’s father.”