The morning sunlight filtered through the windows of Alessia’s home, casting a soft, warm glow over the living room. The house was finally quiet, save for the occasional giggles of Avery, who was playing with her new mountain of toys. She had been smothered with love and affection since being brought home the night before, and Alessia had hardly let her out of her sight.
Victoria was in the kitchen, making tea, while Zayden sat nearby, flipping through the morning paper but clearly distracted. Theo walked into the room, holding a steaming cup of coffee, and kissed Alessia on the top of her head.
“How are you feeling?” Theo asked softly, sitting next to her on the couch.
Alessia let out a sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Better,” she said, her voice still tinged with exhaustion. “But every time I close my eyes, I see her… I see Zoey with Avery. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”
Theo wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “We’ll get through this,” he said firmly. “Avery is safe, and Zoey is locked up. She can’t hurt us anymore.”
Before Alessia could respond, the doorbell rang, startling her slightly. She glanced at Theo, her brows furrowing. “Who could that be?”
Theo stood, placing his cup on the coffee table. “I’ll get it.”
When Theo opened the door, two officers stood on the porch. One of them was Detective Tover, the same officer who had helped them coordinate Avery’s rescue. His expression was serious but not alarmed.
“Detective,” Theo greeted, stepping aside to let them in. “Come in.”
Alessia stood as the officers entered, her heart sinking at the sight of them. “Is everything okay?” she asked, clutching her hands together nervously.
Detective Tover gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Yes, Mrs. Deveraux, everything is fine. We just wanted to update you on some new developments.”
Alessia and Theo exchanged a glance before sitting down, with the officers taking seats across from them. Victoria and Zayden joined them, both looking equally concerned.
“What developments?” Alessia asked, her voice tentative.
Tover cleared his throat. “We’ve been interrogating Zoey, and while she’s… difficult to get a straight answer from due to her delusions, we’ve uncovered some important information. It appears she wasn’t working alone.”
Alessia’s stomach tightened, and Theo’s hand instinctively found hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“What do you mean?” Theo asked, his voice steady but tense.
Tover glanced at his partner before continuing. “Zoey had a partner in all of this—someone who helped her escape the mental hospital and provided her with resources to execute her plan. That person was Christian.”
The room fell silent, the weight of the revelation settling over them like a heavy blanket. Alessia’s eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. “Christian?” she whispered. “He—he was involved in this?”
Tover nodded. “Yes. From what we’ve gathered, Christian initially helped Zoey escape with the intention of using her to disrupt your marriage. The story about Theo having a child with Zoey was fabricated to create mistrust between you two.”
Theo’s jaw tightened, his eyes dark with anger. “That son of a—” He cut himself off, taking a deep breath. “He put my family in danger just to ruin us?”
Tover’s expression hardened. “It seems so. However, when Zoey escalated her plan and abducted Avery, Christian didn’t approve. According to Zoey, he argued with her about it, saying that Avery was still his blood and didn’t deserve to be used in their scheme. After the abduction, Christian fled the country.”
Alessia shook her head, her mind reeling. “So he was okay with destroying my marriage, but kidnapping his daughter was crossing the line?”
“Apparently,” Tover said. “We’ve also confirmed that Christian funded Zoey’s escape from the hospital and provided her with the fake identification she used at the daycare. While Zoey’s actions were driven by her delusions, Christian was very much a willing accomplice—at least until things spiraled out of control.”
Alessia sat back, her hand still covering her mouth as she processed the news. “I can’t believe he’d do this,” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “I knew he was angry, but this? This is beyond anything I could have imagined.”
Theo leaned forward, his hand still tightly gripping Alessia’s. “Is there any chance Christian will be brought to justice?”
“We’ve issued an international warrant for his arrest,” Tover said. “But it may take time to track him down. For now, our priority is ensuring Zoey remains in custody and that your family is safe.”
Alessia nodded, her gaze drifting to Avery, who was playing with a set of colorful blocks, blissfully unaware of the chaos surrounding her. Tears welled in Alessia’s eyes as she stood and walked over to her daughter, scooping her into her arms.
“I love you, my princess,” Alessia whispered, holding Avery close and kissing her forehead. “More than anything in this world.”
Avery giggled, wrapping her tiny arms around Alessia’s neck. “Mama!” she exclaimed, her voice full of joy.
Theo joined them, wrapping his arms around both Alessia and Avery. “We’re safe now,” he said softly. “All three of us. And nothing is going to change that.”