Chapter 8 - The Cost of Silence
The house became painfully quiet after the police left.
Brent had also been taken for questioning. His car, the luxury goods, the stolen watch, and several electronic devices were collected as evidence.
Daniel locked the front door.
Elena sat at the kitchen table.
“I should have called someone sooner.”
“You tried.”
“I let her convince me that I was helpless.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“She chose a moment when you were sick. That was deliberate.”
Elena looked toward the empty refrigerator.
“I kept thinking she would notice. I thought if she saw how weak I was, she would remember that she loved me.”
Daniel took her hand.
“She may love you in whatever way she understands love. But love does not excuse what she did.”
The next morning, Daniel took Elena to the doctor. She was dehydrated and undernourished but had not suffered permanent damage.
When they returned home, their neighbors had left food outside the door.
Someone had brought vegetable soup.
Someone else had delivered bread, fruit, milk, and flowers.
Daniel filled the refrigerator while Elena watched from the kitchen island.
For the first time in days, the shelves were full.
Daniel later met with the bank and an attorney. Most of the transactions were frozen. The car dealership returned the deposit after receiving evidence that the payment had been unauthorized.
The luxury items were recovered.
Not every dollar returned immediately, but enough was secured to protect Elena’s future.
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The attorney helped them obtain a protective order preventing Mia from accessing their accounts or entering the house without permission.
Elena changed every password herself.
