Chapter 2

My eyes snapped open.

Sunlight streamed through the bedroom window, the same sunlight I remembered from... yesterday?

No. Not yesterday.

The date on my phone confirmed it. It was the morning I received the email about Aunt Mildred' s insurance. The morning Lily...

My heart hammered. Lily.

I threw back the covers, my breath catching in my throat. Was this real? A second chance?

The email notification pinged on my phone. Beneficiary Confirmation – Mildred Alistair Estate.

Five million dollars.

The words swam before my eyes. Joy, sharp and fierce, warred with a terror so profound it left me breathless.

Lily. I had to get to Lily.

I raced out of the bedroom, down the hall to her room.

The door was ajar. I pushed it open.

Karen, my mother-in-law, stood by Lily' s crib, looking down at my sleeping daughter. Her expression wasn' t loving, not the doting grandmother. It was cold, disdainful, almost resentful.

The same look she' d had in that other life, after.

My blood ran cold.

Lily stirred, her little face peaceful.

"Karen," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "What are you doing here so early?"

She started, turning to me, her face quickly arranging itself into a bland smile. "Oh, Sarah dear. Mark had an early meeting, so I thought I' d pop over and help with Lily."

Help. Like she' d "helped" before.

"That' s... thoughtful," I said, moving towards the crib, placing myself between Karen and Lily. "But actually, I need to take Lily out. We have an appointment."

"An appointment?" Karen' s eyes narrowed slightly. "Mark didn' t mention anything."

"It was a last-minute thing," I improvised, my mind racing. "A specialist. For her, um, her allergies. They had a cancellation." I scooped Lily into my arms. She snuggled against me, still sleepy.

Her warmth, her scent, the feel of her small body in my arms – it was real. She was alive.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back. No weakness. Not now.

"Allergies?" Karen pressed, her gaze sharp. "She seemed fine yesterday."

"They can flare up suddenly," I said, already moving towards the door. "I need to get her dressed. We can' t be late."

I didn' t wait for her reply, just carried Lily out of the room, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Protect Lily. That was all that mattered.

Get her away from this house, away from them.

The five million dollars could wait. My revenge could wait.

Lily' s safety was paramount.