Chapter 3

The day of the "selection" dawned grey and oppressive.

We were gathered in the grand hall of Serenity Pines.

Babies lay in identical, high-tech Aethel Corp bassinets, arranged in a neat row.

My son and daughter were among them. My heart ached looking at their innocent faces.

Damian Thorne stood at a podium, Cassandra at his side, looking radiant and maternal.

She held a small, fluffy white dog on a leash, a "therapy animal" she claimed helped with her "post-partum anxiety."

The dog looked harmless enough, but something about its stillness felt wrong.

Damian spoke of legacy, of Aethel Corp's commitment to the future.

His eyes kept flicking to Cassandra's child, a boy swaddled in blue.

It was clear who he intended to "win."

Suddenly, a hush fell as an older woman entered the hall.

Genevieve Thorne. The Matriarch.

Damian' s powerful, estranged mother.

Her presence was a shock. She rarely attended corporate events.

Damian' s face tightened almost imperceptibly.

Genevieve nodded coolly to him, then took a seat at the front.

A representative from her philanthropic foundation stepped forward. "Mrs. Genevieve Thorne has graciously offered to oversee the random selection process to ensure complete fairness."

A murmur went through the room.

Damian forced a smile. "Of course. Transparency is paramount."

The draw was made. My breath hitched.

The representative announced the name. "The recipient of this year's Thorne Legacy scholarship is... Leo Vance."

Cassandra' s child.

Cassandra gasped, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, Damian! I can't believe it!"

Damian beamed, pulling her into a hug.

It was too smooth. Too perfect. Just like before, except the winner was different.

Then, chaos.

Cassandra' s "therapy dog" suddenly snarled, lunging from her grasp.

It wasn't a playful bark. It was a vicious, guttural sound.

It streaked towards the line of bassinets, a white blur of fury.

Straight for my twins.

"No!" I screamed, shoving past people, throwing myself in front of their bassinets.

The dog slammed into me, teeth snapping.

Pain seared through my arm as its claws raked my skin.

I curled around my babies, shielding them with my body.

Attendants rushed forward, pulling the snarling dog away.

I was shaking, blood dripping from deep scratches on my arm.

My twins were wailing, terrified.

Damian rushed over, but not to me.

He went straight to Cassandra, who was sobbing dramatically.

"My poor Muffin! He' s never done anything like this! He must have been provoked!"

Damian turned to me, his face dark with anger.

"Eleanor! What did you do? Did you try to harm Cassandra's child? Did you startle her dog?"

His accusation, so swift, so unjust, stole my breath.

"I... I was protecting my babies," I stammered, clutching my bleeding arm.

Genevieve Thorne watched the scene, her expression unreadable, her eyes sharp.

Cassandra was already playing the victim, and Damian, her willing audience.

The nightmare was escalating, twisting into new, horrifying shapes.