Eli moved with a speed I had never seen in him. Before my thumb could hit the screen, his hand shot out, catching the edge of the phone and knocking it from my palm. It clattered against the baseboard, the screen fracturing into a spiderweb of white lines.

My blood ran cold. Eli was back early, and he sounded different—less composed, more erratic.

I quickly locked the iPad screen, tossed it beneath a pile of old sweaters in the trunk, and stepped out into the hallway just as heavy footsteps mounted the stairs.

Eli appeared at the top landing, but he wasn't alone. Standing behind him was Maya, his sister, and clinging tightly to Maya’s skirt was our seven-year-old daughter, June.

“Mommy!” June cried out, breaking away from Maya and running toward me.

I dropped to my knees, scooping June into my arms and burying my face in her hair. She smelled like strawberries and sunshine, a stark contrast to the dark nightmare closing in around us.

“Mommy, why is Daddy yelling?” June whispered, trembling against my shoulder.

“Everything is fine, sweetheart,” I lied, my voice cracking. I looked up to see Maya glaring at Eli with a look of pure disgust. Maya had never liked Eli’s controlling nature, but she had never known the full extent of his schemes until today.

“Eli, you’re sick,” Maya said, her voice shaking with anger. “You lied to me. You told me Claire had a nervous breakdown and needed a few days at a wellness retreat. But when I got to the house and saw Mom’s burns on the news—and she told me what you did before she clammed up—I knew you were lying.”

Eli’s face contorted into a mask of pure rage. He stepped forward, grabbing Maya by the forearm. “Stay out of this, Maya. This is a family matter. Claire is unstable, and you’re just making it worse.”

“Let go of her, Eli!” I stood up, keeping June behind me.

Maya jerked her arm away, rubbing her wrist. “No, Eli. I’m taking June with me. And I’m calling the police. I heard the voicemails you accidentally left on my phone while you were arguing with Mom. I know about the pills. I know about the custody setup.”

Eli’s eyes widened. He hadn't planned on Maya turning against him. His entire house of cards was collapsing in real-time.

“You shouldn't have listened to those voicemails, Maya,” Eli whispered dangerously, his hand sliding toward his coat pocket.

Before any of us could move, the sound of heavy boots echoing up the front steps shattered the tension.