And his reaction terrified me more than anything else that afternoon.
He stopped breathing.
Not metaphorically.
He physically stopped.
His eyes widened.
He whispered, “Where did you get that?”
I picked up the envelope.
“I didn’t.”
“Don’t open it.”
Everyone looked at him.
Vanessa frowned.
“Why?”
Daniel moved toward me.
“Helen. Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Give me the envelope.”
I stepped backward.
His voice grew sharper.
“Helen!”
Sabrina suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Don’t touch her.”
Daniel pulled away.
I tore the envelope open.
Inside was a photograph.
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what I was looking at.
Then I recognized the place.
My hospital room.
The photograph had been taken after the triplets were born.
I was asleep in the bed.
Three bassinets stood beside me.
Someone had photographed us from the doorway.
My stomach turned.
I flipped the photograph over.
There were six words written on the back.
**ASK DANIEL ABOUT BABY NUMBER FOUR.**
The room disappeared around me.
I read the sentence again.
Baby number four.
I looked at Daniel.
His face had become gray.
Vanessa whispered, “What does it say?”
I couldn’t answer.
Sabrina stepped beside me and read the message.
Her eyes widened.
“What baby?”
Daniel shook his head.
“This is a trick.”
“Whose trick?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You knew what was inside the envelope.”
“No.”
“You told me not to open it.”
“Because whoever left it is trying to manipulate you.”
“How did you know?”
He stared at me.
No answer.
Then Sabrina’s phone rang.
She checked the screen.
Her expression changed immediately.
“What?” Daniel asked.
She didn’t answer him.
Instead, she looked at me.
“It’s my investigator.”
“You hired an investigator?”
“Three weeks ago.”
She answered.
“Hello?”
We could hear only her side of the conversation.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“When?”
Another pause.
Her eyes moved toward Daniel.
“Are you certain?”
Daniel backed toward the door.
Sabrina’s face drained of color.
“Send it to me.”
She hung up.
