Stone respectfully excused himself from the room, allowing Isla some privacy. Isla, visibly grateful, remained on the hospital bed, anxiously checking her phone to see if the secret recording she had made earlier had worked. She had recorded a long conversation with Alfred Wyndham and a distressing encounter with Anna, hoping to capture proof of Anna’s cruelty and all the dark family secrets.
As Isla played the nearly two-hour recording, her parents, Charles and Diana, stood close by, visibly shaken by the evidence. The recording revealed Anna’s hateful words and a struggle during which Isla pleaded for her baby’s safety. The emotional impact was overwhelming: Diana sobbed uncontrollably, and Charles was filled with disbelief and quiet fury at Anna’s betrayal.
Despite John’s earlier warning to let Alfred handle the situation, Isla realized she could no longer remain silent. She was determined to reveal the truth to Gabriel and confront the painful family secrets. Soon, her sisters Betty and Maya arrived, offering comfort and hope, even as Isla struggled with the painful reminder of her own loss while seeing Maya’s pregnancy.
Following them, friends Betsy and Sofie came to support Isla, embracing her as she broke down in tears. Surrounded by love and shared grief, Isla allowed herself to mourn deeply—not as a victim, but as a mother grieving something irreplaceably precious.
0132
“I think it’s best if I wait outside,” Stone said quietly, his voice carrying a respectful tone.
Isla nodded, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you, Stone. I really appreciate this,” she replied softly, offering him a small, heartfelt smile.
Stone acknowledged her with a polite nod, then turned toward Charles and Diana. He gave them a brief, courteous bow before quietly stepping out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Isla let out a shaky breath and sank back onto the hospital bed. Her fingers trembled as she tapped nervously on her phone’s screen.
Her heart raced, each beat sounding louder than the steady beep of the monitor beside her. She was desperate to find out if the recording had worked.
Earlier, when Alfred Wyndham had asked to see her alone in his study, she had secretly activated the voice recorder on her phone and left it running, tucked away in her purse. She hadn’t stopped the recording, even after Anna dragged her into the storeroom.
If the device had captured everything, then at last she possessed the proof—not only of Anna’s cruelty but of all the vile things she had said and done.
Her hands shook as she scrolled through the files, her pulse pounding in her ears. She opened the voice recorder app and scanned the list of recordings, eyes flicking to the dates to find the right one.
And then she found it.
The recording was nearly two hours long.
Two full hours—beginning with her conversation with Alfred in his study and continuing through her terrifying encounter with Anna.
Her throat tightened as she glanced briefly at her parents, who had moved closer, standing protectively beside her. Charles’s hand rested gently on her shoulder, while Diana’s gaze remained fixed on her daughter’s face, full of concern.
Taking a deep breath, Isla tapped the play button.
At first, there was only silence. The soft hum of the hospital’s air conditioner filled the quiet space. Isla furrowed her brow.
She fast-forwarded a few seconds, still no sound.
Then, faint crackling emerged.
Suddenly, Alfred’s deep voice echoed through the room.
Diana gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth. Charles stiffened beside her. Isla closed her eyes briefly, relief washing over her—it had worked.
The recording played on. She could hear Alfred’s sighs, the weight behind his confession, the pauses between his words. Every sound brought the memory flooding back.
Isla fast-forwarded through the parts she already knew well, until she reached the moment she had been searching for.
Her own voice broke through, terrified and desperate, screaming for help.
Diana clutched at her chest, gasping in horror. Charles squeezed his eyes shut, fists clenched tight.
Then Anna’s voice came through—cold, dripping with venomous hatred.
The sounds of a struggle followed—scuffling, muffled cries, Isla’s frantic pleas to protect her baby.
“Please, don’t hurt my baby—”
Isla’s finger hit pause. She couldn’t bear to listen any longer. Her entire body trembled.
Diana collapsed into the chair beside the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. Charles turned away, jaw clenched, chest rising and falling heavily with the weight of disbelief.
He couldn’t fathom what he had just heard.
“How could she?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “How could Anna harbor such hatred for her own family? After everything I’ve done for her?”
His voice cracked with quiet fury, but he said no more. This wasn’t the time for anger—not while his daughter remained so fragile.
The three of them sat intertwined, bound by shared grief and love.
Isla’s sobs were raw and unfiltered now, carrying all the pain she had bottled up—the fear, the loss, the anger.
It wasn’t until she lifted her head that she found her voice again, fragile and broken.
“I didn’t even get to know the baby’s gender,” she whispered, her voice cracking with heartache.
Betsy and Sofie wept alongside her, their hands gently patting her back. They didn’t try to stop her tears—they understood that this release was necessary.
In that quiet hospital room, surrounded by those who loved her, Isla finally let herself grieve.
Not as a victim.
But as a mother mourning something irreplaceably precious.
The chapter closes on a deeply emotional note, capturing Isla’s profound grief and the overwhelming support that surrounds her. Through the harrowing revelation of the recording, the weight of betrayal and pain becomes tangible, yet the presence of her family and friends offers a fragile glimmer of comfort. Isla’s journey through sorrow is marked not only by loss but by the courage to confront the painful truths that have long been hidden.
In this intimate moment of mourning, Isla’s vulnerability is met with unwavering love, reminding her—and the reader—that even in the darkest times, connection and empathy can provide solace. The chapter gently underscores themes of resilience, the complexity of family bonds, and the necessity of facing harsh realities with honesty and strength. It leaves Isla poised on the brink of a difficult path forward, buoyed by those who refuse to let her walk it alone.
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the emotional aftermath of Isla’s harrowing revelation. As she begins to confront the painful truths captured in the recording, the fragile bonds within her family will be tested in unexpected ways. The weight of betrayal and sorrow hangs heavy, and readers can anticipate moments of raw vulnerability as Isla grapples with her loss and the daunting path that lies ahead.
Tensions are likely to rise as Isla takes the brave step of sharing these dark secrets with Gabriel, setting the stage for difficult conversations and possibly new alliances or fractures. The presence of her sisters and close friends offers a glimmer of hope and solidarity, but the emotional turmoil is far from over. This chapter will explore the complexities of grief, resilience, and the unbreakable ties of family amid unfolding challenges.
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.

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