Leo lay curled up, still shaking, as Clara gently comforted him. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” she whispered, carefully lifting the pillow from beneath his head.
It felt unusually heavy. When she opened it, she found hidden electronic devices and wires inside. Her heart sank—someone had built a hidden system into the pillow, causing him pain every night.
Red marks on Leo’s skin confirmed he had been suffering from it for a long time. Clara realized it wasn’t an accident—it was deliberate.
She quietly removed the pillow and told Leo he would sleep in her room that night. He clung to her in relief as she carried him away from the room.
In her bed, Leo finally slept peacefully for the first time in weeks while Clara watched over him. As she thought about what she had found, she prepared herself to confront James in the morning and reveal the truth.
Whatever the cost, she was determined to protect Leo and end his suffering.