“For now.”
The recording continued.
At 8:26, Chloe took several containers from the refrigerator and placed them into insulated travel bags.
At 8:31, Mark carried out the electric space heater I had ordered for the nursery.
At 8:34, my mother turned the thermostat down to fifty-eight degrees.
At 8:37, all three of them left.
Maya stood in the middle of the living room after the door closed.
For nearly a minute, she did not move.
Then she sat on the sofa and cried without making a sound.
I shut off the video.
My hands were shaking.
Daniel was still on the phone.
“David?”
“I saw enough.”
“Save the footage.”
“I will.”
“And listen carefully. This is no longer only a financial dispute. The hospital may be required to make a report because a recovering patient and newborn were left without proper care. Don’t interfere with that process.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Also, do not threaten anyone. Do not post anything online. Do not make decisions about housing or access to the apartment until we understand who legally resides there.”
“My mother doesn’t live with us.”
“Does she receive mail there?”
“Sometimes.”
“Does she have a key?”
“Yes.”
“Then change the locks, but coordinate with building management. Do it properly.”
I looked through the glass panel in the door. Maya was awake, watching Liam sleep.
“Daniel, what is Hudson Family Consulting?”
“I don’t know.”
“There are repeated transfers from the account.”
“To a person or a company?”
“It says company.”
“Send me the details. I’ll look into it.”
When I returned to the room, Maya noticed my expression.
“You watched the cameras.”
It was not a question.
“Yes.”
She folded her hands over the blanket.
“How much did you see?”
“Enough to understand that you tried to stop them.”
“I should have tried harder.”
“No.”
“I let her take the formula.”
“You had just had surgery.”
“I still let her.”
I sat beside her.
“Maya, listen to me. I am not going to make you responsible for what they did.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away.
“They kept saying I was selfish,” she whispered. “Every time I asked for anything, your mother reminded me that she raised two children after your father died. She said she went back to work three weeks after Chloe was born. She said women today expect to be treated like patients instead of mothers.”
“My father was alive when Chloe was born.”
Maya looked at me.
