A chill crept up Elara’s spine, colder than any winter draft. Her fingers, trembling, traced the tiny lens hidden within the teddy bear’s eye. Surveillance. In Mia’s room. In her sanctuary.
Betrayal burned a bitter taste on her tongue. All the subtle shifts, the displaced items, the feeling of being watched – it wasn’t paranoia. It was real. Cassian. He had done this.
Gripping the soft toy, Elara's knuckles turned white. Her mind raced, a whirlwind of anger and fear. How could he? How dare he invade their privacy, especially Mia’s, with such a calculated deception?
Storming out of the nursery, her steps were heavy, each one fueled by a potent mix of outrage and dread. She had to confront him. Now. This instant.
His office door stood ajar. A sliver of light escaped, casting a long shadow down the hallway. She pushed it open without knocking, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet house.
Cassian sat behind his massive mahogany desk, a holographic display shimmering before him. His head snapped up, eyes narrowing slightly as he saw her.
“Elara?” His voice held a hint of surprise, a question unspoken. He registered her posture, the rigid set of her shoulders, the fury in her gaze.
She didn’t speak, merely held up the teddy bear. Its innocent, stitched smile seemed to mock her, a silent accomplice to the violation.
His eyes flickered to the bear, then to her face. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his features before settling into an expressionless mask.
“What is this, Cassian?” Her voice was low, strained, barely a whisper of its usual timbre. Yet, the intensity behind it was unmistakable.
Pushing back from his desk, he rose slowly, his towering height seeming to fill the room. He didn’t deny it. He didn’t pretend not to know.
“It’s a security measure, Elara.” His words were clipped, precise, devoid of emotion.
“A security measure?” A humorless laugh escaped her. “You spy on your daughter? On me? You plant cameras in a child’s bedroom and call it ‘security’?”
He walked around the desk, stopping a few feet from her. His gaze was steady, unwavering, but offered no comfort.
“It’s for Mia’s protection.”
“Protection from what?” Her voice rose, unable to contain her indignation. “From her own mother? From the housekeeper? From invisible boogeymen?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “From real threats, Elara. Threats you know nothing about.”