Chapter 3

Delia's POV

My whole body froze, and Elliot and I locked eyes, both of us seeing the same shock reflected back.

I don't wear red dresses. Ever since I took over the family holding company, my closet has been nothing but black, white, and gray suits.

My hair's a chin-length bob. I've never had a curl in it in my life.

And I'm allergic to rose pollen. I've never touched a perfume with rose in it.

By the time we walked out of the practice, the sky outside had already gone dark.

A cold gust hit me and I shivered without meaning to. Elliot's hand clamped down on my arm.

I glanced at him, jaw tight. "The hospital. Now."

Elliot didn't hesitate. He scooped up Cordelia, who was still rubbing her eyes like she'd just woken up, and put her straight in the back seat.

"Sir! Ma'am! Where are you taking Cordelia?" The nanny showed up out of nowhere, rushing over and grabbing onto the car door. "That poor girl's had such a scare today, she needs to go home and get some rest, have some soup..."

Corinne came out too, frowning slightly. "Delia, she just came out of hypnosis. Her mind is fragile right now. Don't do anything rash."

"Get out of the way!" Elliot barked, completely out of character, and shoved the nanny aside. She yelped and dropped to the ground, immediately wailing.

I didn't even look at her. I just gave Corinne a cold glance. "This is a family matter, Corinne."

I slammed the car door shut. Elliot hit the gas, and the car tore toward the biggest testing lab downtown.

The whole way there, Cordelia seemed to pick up on how off the mood was. She curled up in the corner, shaking.

Mom's being so mean... Grandma Wanda was right, they don't love me at all, they only love money... I want the system to punish them...

That eerie voice went off in my head again. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my nails dug into my palm, forcing myself not to react.

A system? Punishment? How does a ten-year-old even come up with something like that?

At the lab, I threw money at the problem and got us into the fastest rush service they had. Cordelia sobbed through the blood draw, and I watched her with a blank face.

Four hours of waiting. Every second of it felt like being roasted alive.

When the doctor finally came out with a sealed envelope, Elliot and I both lunged for it at the same time.

My hands shook as I tore it open and flipped straight to the last page.

Findings: DNA analysis supports Delia Hollis and Elliot Knox as the biological parents of Cordelia Knox. Match rate 99.99%.

I went still.

Elliot stood frozen next to me.

Black and white, official seal. 99.99%.

Was she really our daughter?

"Mom..." Cordelia edged closer, tears rolling down her face. "Are you not gonna want me anymore? That red dress thing I said at Aunt Corinne's, that was just a witch I saw on TV yesterday... I love you so much, Mom, please don't leave me..."

I looked at her crying little face, and Elliot and I exchanged a glance. I could see the same doubt creeping into both of us.

Had going through all these rebirths messed with our heads until we'd both gone paranoid? Maybe the tragedies in our first two lives were just because we'd failed her as parents somehow.

Blood doesn't lie, after all.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia..." Elliot crouched down and pulled her into a tight hug. "Mom and Dad aren't splitting up. We're going to do better by you from now on."

Watching them, something in my chest loosened a little. Maybe if we just raised her right this time, everything would sort itself out.

That night, the three of us went home to the estate.

Late that night, Elliot had already gone to sleep in the guest room. I lay in the master bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep no matter what.

I closed my eyes and kept replaying everything that had happened that day.

The voice only the two of us could hear... the red dress in the hypnosis session... the nanny's panic grabbing at the car door...

Wait.

My eyes snapped open. I finally saw it, everything that didn't add up.

I threw off the covers and ran barefoot into the guest room, shaking Elliot awake.

"What's wrong?!" He shot up, eyes wide with alarm.

I clamped a hand over his mouth and leaned in close to his ear. "I figured it all out, Elliot. If you want to live, you do exactly what I say."