A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 243

As dawn broke, Starla, asleep in her room upstairs, received two phone calls in quick succession. The first was from Garret. He had found the child and was reporting the situation.

“The baby isn’t healthy,” Garret said. “Her condition might be even more complicated than the other one’s. Brinley had her taken to a private villa with a doctor on standby.”

“But there was never any word that the girl was sick,” Starla murmured.

“Perhaps,” Garret suggested, “that was always part of the trap being set for you.”

Starla’s eyes turned to ice at the word “trap.” If that was true, then Brinley’s scheming ran far deeper than she had imagined. The entire Yelchin family had been focused on the sick boy, never suspecting the girl had problems too.

Before Starla could respond, Garret continued, “I don’t know what their original plan was, but I’d bet Brinley will call you soon. She’ll offer you the baby as a compromise to get you to divorce Fairfax.”

“Has the baby’s condition worsened?”

“Yes. At three this morning, the villa was lit up like a Christmas tree, and an ambulance was seen coming and going.”

He didn't know the specifics, but whether or not Brinley called would reveal the severity of the situation. After all, if the child died while in Starla’s care, she would be utterly defenseless against the accusations.

“I understand,” Starla said.

She had just hung up with Garret when another call came in. It was an unknown number, but given the timing, she knew exactly who it was.

She answered, and Brinley’s voice came through the line. “I’ll give you the baby. You just have to divorce Fairfax.”

“I don’t know how to take care of a baby,” Starla replied sweetly. “She’s so tiny. What if something happened to her on my watch?”

“You won’t have to do anything. I’ll have someone feed her. All you have to do is finalize the divorce by this morning.”

At Starla’s refusal, a note of panic had crept into Brinley’s voice. That panic confirmed it: the child’s condition was serious.

Starla felt a wave of relief. Thank God for her brother and his resources. Without this information, she could have walked right into Brinley’s trap.

Brinley had seen how desperate Starla was to get away from Fairfax, and she had tried to exploit that desperation. It was clear now that Brinley didn’t just want her gone; she wanted her destroyed.

“I do want a divorce,” Starla said coolly, “but I’m not willing to stoop to your level and use a child to get it. I couldn’t be that despicable.”