Chapter 2 - The Order He Could Not Take BackDarius heard Ava clearly.

Everyone close enough did.

Nia's face changed for only an instant.

Then she shook her head violently.

"She's frightened. She doesn't know what happened."

Emily's arms tightened around Rex.

"She knows who pushed her."

Darius turned toward Emily.

"You saw it?"

"Yes."

"From where?"

"The service doorway."

Nia gave a broken laugh.

"Of course she did."

Emily stared at her.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you've wanted me out of this house since the day I married him."

Darius raised his hands.

"Stop."

Ava sobbed.

That sound broke through everything.

Darius lifted his daughter carefully and carried her toward a lounger. Ava immediately reached toward Rex.

"Doggy."

Rex stepped forward.

Malik moved uncertainly beside him.

Darius looked at the dog and remembered his own words.

Put him down right now.

The sentence turned poisonous in his memory.

"Malik."

"Sir?"

"Nobody touches Rex."

Malik immediately stepped away.

"Yes, sir."

Nia stared at her husband.

"Darius, that animal was holding her in his mouth."

"Her dress," Emily said. "He held her dress."

"He's a dog."

"He's the reason she's breathing."

Darius's jaw tightened.

"Enough."

Emily examined Ava while Darius knelt beside them. The child had swallowed some water, but she was alert. There were no bite marks.

No scratches.

Only a stretched section of fabric high on the back of her dress.

Emily pointed to it.

"That's where Rex grabbed her."

Darius touched the wet fabric.

The shape was unmistakable.

Nia stepped closer.

"Darius, I was right here. Ava slipped. Rex jumped in. I panicked."

Emily stood.

"You laughed."

Nia looked at her with open hatred.

"Because I was nervous."

"No. You laughed after she hit the water."

Darius turned sharply.

"Nia."

His wife looked at him.

"I would never hurt that child."

That child.

Not Ava.

Darius noticed it.

Perhaps because he needed to notice something.

The party had collapsed into whispers. Guests kept their distance while pretending not to watch.

Darius ordered everyone to leave.

Within minutes, cars began moving down the circular drive.

Emily insisted Ava should be evaluated by a physician. Darius agreed immediately.

As Malik brought towels, something bumped gently against Darius's shoe.

The gift box.

The lid was soaked at one corner.

He picked it up.

"Nia," he said.

She looked at it.

"What?"

"What was Ava bringing you?"

Nia stared at the lavender ribbon.

"I don't know."

Darius looked toward his daughter.

Ava whispered, "Present."

"For Nia?"

Ava nodded.

Nia folded her arms.

"This is absurd. You're acting like a toddler's present proves something."

"No," Darius said quietly. "I'm wondering why my daughter walked toward you with a present and ended up in the pool."

Nia's watery eyes hardened.

Emily saw it too.

But Darius was already looking away.

He had loved Nia for eleven months as his wife and nearly two years before that as the woman who seemed to pull him out of grief.

He had known Emily for almost four years.

Emily had helped care for Leah before Leah died.

She had watched Ava grow from an infant.

And Rex—

Rex had slept outside Ava's nursery every night after Leah's funeral.

Darius looked around the patio.

Three separate loyalties pointed in one direction.

Only one person pointed the other way.

Nia came closer.

"Darius, look at me."

He did.

"Emily has never accepted us."

"That doesn't mean she lied."

"Your daughter nearly drowned and you're interrogating me?"

"My daughter says you pushed her."

"She's three."

"She knows what pushing is."

Nia's mouth tightened.

Then she whispered, "So that's it? A nurse says something, a frightened child repeats it, and suddenly your wife is guilty?"

Darius had no answer.

Ava's breathing steadied.

Rex lay against the lounger, refusing to leave her.

Darius bent to open the damaged box.

Nia suddenly reached for it.

"Don't."

Everyone looked at her.

Her hand stopped in midair.

Darius's eyes narrowed.

"Why not?"

Nia recovered quickly.

"It's wet. Whatever's inside is ruined."

Darius looked down at the box.

For the first time since Emily's accusation, fear touched him in a completely different way.

Because Nia had not sounded disgusted.

She had sounded afraid.

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He removed the lavender ribbon.

And lifted the lid.