Chapter 6: Clara’s Missing Six Hours
I returned to Clara’s room before anyone else could.
The moment I walked in, I knew something was wrong.
She wasn’t resting.
She was staring at Noah’s picture on the bedside table.
Like she was trying to understand something.
“Clara.””
She looked up.
“Did you find something?””
I closed the door behind me.
“I need you to tell me everything.””
Her expression changed.
“What happened?””
“My mother was creating documents to take Noah.””
The color drained from her face.
“I knew it.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew?””
Clara looked down.
“She told me.””
I sat beside her.
“Tell me.””
Her hands trembled.
“The night before you came home, Evelyn came into my room.””
“What did she say?””
Clara swallowed.
“She said I had two choices.””
I waited.
“Either I signed papers giving her temporary control of Noah…”
She paused.
“Or she would make sure everyone believed I was an unfit mother.””
I felt anger rising.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Victor took my phone.””
I looked at her.
“He what?””
“He said you were busy. He said you didn’t want me distracting you.””
My jaw clenched.
“And you believed him?””
Clara’s eyes filled with tears.
“No.””
That answer surprised me.
“I didn’t believe him.””
“Then why?””
She looked at Noah’s picture.
“Because I was scared.””
The words were quiet.
But they destroyed me.
“My wife was scared, and I wasn’t there.””
“You were working.””
“I should have known.””
“Daniel.””
She reached for my hand.
“This is not about guilt.””
“Then what is it about?””
She looked toward the door.
“It’s about why Evelyn was so desperate.””
I leaned closer.
“What do you mean?””
Clara took a breath.
“She wasn’t only interested in Noah.””
“What else?””
“She wanted me to sign something else.””
“What?””
“A power of attorney.””
I froze.
“For what?””
“My medical decisions.””
The room went silent.
“She wanted control over everything.””
I looked at the floor.
My mother had planned every step.
The exhaustion.
The isolation.
The accusations.
The paperwork.
Then I remembered the message.
Ask your wife about Noah.
“Clara.””
“Yes?””
“Did anything happen with Noah?””
Her face changed.
A long pause.
Then she whispered:
“The night before you came home…”
I waited.
“Evelyn took Noah from the nursery.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“She said she was only calming him.””
“When?””
“After midnight.””
“Where did she take him?””
Clara looked terrified.
“I don’t know.””
The room felt smaller.
“She was gone with him for almost six hours.””
I stood.
“Six hours?””
Clara nodded.
“And when she brought him back…”
She stopped.
“What?””
“She wasn’t carrying him the same way.””
My breathing slowed.
“What does that mean?””
Clara looked directly at me.
“It means…”
A knock interrupted us.
The door opened.
A nurse stepped inside.
“Mr. Carter?””
I turned.
“Yes?””
“There’s a man downstairs claiming he has information about your son.””
“Who?””
The nurse looked at the paper in her hand.
Then said a name I never expected.
“Your father’s former attorney.””
My father’s attorney.
A man who had disappeared after my father’s death.
A man who should not have known anything about Noah.
May you like
Unless…
He knew exactly what my mother had been planning.
