Was she even... alive?
My knuckles dug into my palms. I clenched my fists so hard the bones bit into flesh. A fire raged inside me, tearing through my chest, but I couldn't make a sound.
My child was still out there. I couldn't afford to fall apart. Not yet.
I drew a deep breath, reached out, and ruffled Carina's hair.
"Okay. Mommy forgives you."
Seeing my expression soften, Dante exhaled with visible relief and pulled out a chair for me with exaggerated attentiveness. That smile surfaced, quick and easy, a half-second ahead of whatever he was about to say.
"I knew it. You talk tough, but you're soft on the inside. There's no way you'd stay mad at the daughter you nearly died bringing into this world."
I said nothing. I lowered my head and took a sip of coffee.
"Oh, by the way, babe. Carina's academy is organizing a field trip to Ashford tomorrow. I figured I'd tag along, spend a few days with her. The joint account's running low. Could you transfer another three hundred thousand into it?"
I looked up, my gaze settling on him.