Chapter 8 - Grandma
Silas moved toward the door.
Khloe blocked him.
“Don’t.”
“Move.”
“If you go out there angry, you hand her everything she wants.”
His eyes burned.
“She murdered my son’s nanny.”
“And she wants cameras watching you attack her.”
Silas looked outside.
Khloe was right.
News vans were already arriving.
Far too quickly.
Helena had invited them.
Silas slowly stepped back.
“Then we do this her way.”
Victor shook his head.
“No. We do it smarter.”
Helena boarded five minutes later surrounded by lawyers, federal agents, and one woman from child protective services.
She smiled when she saw Matteo.
“My sweetheart.”
Matteo hid behind Khloe.
Helena’s smile faltered.
Then she noticed Khloe’s hands.
Her expression went cold.
“You taught him that.”
“No,” Khloe said. “Rosa did.”
For the first time, Helena lost control.
Only for half a second.
But Silas saw it.
“You remember Rosa, Mother?”
Helena recovered.
“Of course.”
“Matteo says she taught him sign language.”
“How wonderful.”
“He also says you killed her.”
Silence.
Every phone camera outside seemed to lean closer through the rain.
Helena smiled sadly.
“Silas, your son is traumatized. This is exactly why the court intervened.”
Matteo signed frantically.
She lies. She lies. She lies.
Khloe translated.
Helena looked at her.
“You should be careful, Miss…”
“Gallagher.”
“Miss Gallagher. You don’t understand this family.”
Khloe stared back.
“I understand your grandson is afraid of you.”
The CPS worker stepped between them.
“We need to remove the child from conflict.”
Helena opened her arms.
“I agree.”
Matteo backed away.
The CPS worker looked at Silas.
“We can place him temporarily with a neutral foster guardian.”
Helena snapped, “Absolutely not.”
Everyone turned.
Too fast.
Too emotional.
Her mistake.
Silas smiled faintly.
“Thought this was about his safety.”
Helena’s jaw tightened.
“It is.”
“Then why do you care where he goes?”
The federal agent looked at her differently now.
Victor noticed.
So did Helena.
She changed tactics.
“My grandson has medical needs.”
Khloe replied, “Which you concealed.”
Helena turned.
“Careful.”
Khloe stepped closer.
“No. You be careful.”
Silas almost smiled.
The CPS worker raised her hand.
“We need statements. Separately.”
For the next hour, everyone was interviewed.
Matteo refused to leave Khloe.
The agent allowed her to interpret.
Finally, the CPS worker returned.
“Given the allegations against both family guardians, Matteo will stay overnight under hospital supervision.”
Silas stiffened.
“I’m going with him.”
“You may visit.”
“He’s my son.”
“For tonight, this is the safest option.”
Silas looked ready to fight.
Khloe touched his sleeve.
He stopped.
Matteo was watching.
Silas signed carefully.
I stay close.
Matteo nodded.
The ambulance took them to a children’s hospital under federal escort.
For one hour, it almost felt safe.
Then Khloe entered Matteo’s room and found the bed empty.
The window was locked.
The bathroom was empty.
One security guard lay unconscious in the hall.
Silas came running.
“Where is he?”
Khloe couldn’t answer.
Then she saw something on the pillow.
A folded paper.
Silas opened it.
Four words.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LANDED.
Silas stared.
Khloe looked at the wall.
A security camera pointed directly toward the bed.
Its light was off.
Exactly like someone had planned it.
Then Silas’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A distorted voice said:
“You have two hours to sign away your company.”
And in the background—
May you like
Matteo was crying.
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