Chapter 107 Chapter 107
Liana's Pov
The safe house was very still this evening. I reclined on the couch cushion, draped in a throw blanket. Serena had gone to bed, and Stanley was wiping the tables clean of our barely touched meal. My head lay back against the couch, eyes closed, but sleep was far from reality. The weight of the impending court case pressed down in my chest, like I'd gulped down a rock that I couldn't spit up. It was so draining.
Three days. Three days from now I'd have to confront Dominic and the entire courtroom to defend my daughter, defend myself, and explain why I had kept Lee in hiding for so many years. And the truth? I still had no idea how I was going to do it.
I heard Stanley's footsteps approaching, soft and light. The couch made a soft sound as he sat beside me.
"Has she slept at last?" I asked without even lifting my eyelid.
He breathed out. "Yeah. She didn't say much after you left the room. I sat there staring off into space for a bit… then he asked me to go lie down."
I nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around me.
"She's been going through a lot though," I whispered. "Drifting."
"Yeah," he said. "But she's trying. You know she is.".
I opened my eyes and rolled over to look at him. His face was tired, but alert. Maybe he hadn't been sleeping well. Well, none of us had.ĺl
"I just want her to remember something useful," I whispered. "Something that will help us in court."
Stanley leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his hands together, then looked at me intensely.
"I didn't want to say anything about this tonight, but… the trial is three days away, Liana."
I stiffened. "I know."
"You sure you still want to do it?" he asked again gently. "You're burned out. Dominic… he's going to come at you with everything he's got. And if she doesn't remember enough to help, maybe pulling back isn't such a bad idea."
I snuck my head closer to him. My jaw was clenched.
"You think I should give up?" I demanded, voice level.
"No, I didn't say that," he quickly retreated. "I'm just saying… maybe it's something we should consider. We don't have much. And you're doing all this on your own.".
A bitter smile spread to my lips. "Dominic would love this. He'd love to see me fold just before it begins. It would make his life simpler, wouldn't it?"
Stanley shook his head. "This isn't about Dominic.".
“No, I said abruptly, "but it's always about him. He had his chance to be a father years ago and he blew it. Now he wants to just walk in like the white knight and carry her away from me? What about my intellectual property? The people he hurt? The list goes on.” I paused, took a deep breath, then lowered my voice. "I'm not going to give him that satisfaction. He wants to watch me fall apart? Let him see me struggle instead. And win too.".
Stanley nodded slowly. "Okay. Then we fight."
We remained quiet for a while. The only sound was the low hum of the fridge and the faint rustle of the night breeze against the windows..
"I just hate that I can't give Lee a regular childhood," I blurted at last, eyes hot. "I didn't instigate this fight, Stanley. I was surviving… not well, but surviving. And now everything gets flipped over again."
He pulled my hand into his and held it gently. His thumb brushed across my knuckles.
"She'll be okay," he said. "We all will."
I did not answer. I did not know if I could believe it yet.
……….
The next day, Serena was up early. I came out of the guest room to find her sitting at the kitchen counter, spooning softly into her mouth as though she'd been awake for hours. Her eyes were brighter than they'd been the previous night, although a shadow still lingered behind them.
"Morning," I said, going to the fridge.
"Morning," she said quietly.
I poured myself a glass of water and leaned on the counter. She was staring into her bowl, no longer really eating.
"Did you sleep well?"
Serena scowled, then shrugged. "Not exactly. But I saw… something."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Something?"
"A dream," she replied slowly. "Or maybe a memory. I don't know."
I edged in closer. "What was it?"
She looked at me, her face pale but resolute. "I was in a room. White walls… there was a window with bars. I was rocking in the corner. My arms were sore. There was a voice behind the door. He was yelling, but I couldn't quite hear what he was yelling about."
I swallowed. "Do you think it's connected to…” I knew what I wanted to ask her and I knew the answer but I didn't want to push and disrupt this progress. “Do you think it has something to do with what happened?"
"I don't know," she said softly. "It seemed real. Like I'd been there before."
"Did you see anyone? A face? A name?"
She shook her head. "No. Just the room. And the yelling. Then it all went away."
Stanley walked in just then, freezing when he saw the look on our faces.
"What's wrong?"
"Serena remembered something," I told him.
He sat down beside her. "That's good, right?"
"Shh." Serena prodded her cereal again. "It just felt strange. Like… there was more, and it was out of reach."
"Perhaps it's a beginning," I ventured, trying to sound optimistic. "Perhaps more will follow."
"Perhaps," she muttered, still sounding uncertain.
Stanley stared at us, then sighed. "Hey, since we're on the subject, i was wondering if we could discuss strategy later. The lawyer wants to brief us again today."
Serena rolled her eyes. "I hate that man. He talks like he's in a movie."
I smiled quietly. "He kinda does."
"But we need him," Stanley reminded her. "And we need you on your game. Any shred of memory you recover could be the crack we need in Dominic's armor."
"I'll try my best," Serena said. "I'm just so tired.".
"I know," I told her, stroking her back softly. "We all are. But just hold on with me just a little bit longer. Please."
She nodded weakly. "Okay."