his watch. “She’s upset over nothing. Kids get emotional sometimes.” Then he turned and walked down the hallway without another explanation.
When I carefully unbuttoned Sophia’s cardigan so I could change her clothes, I stopped.
There was a noticeable dark mark on her upper arm that appeared consistent with someone having held her too firmly.
“Sophia… can you tell me what happened to your arm?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Sophia looked down at the floor without answering.
Mateo spoke from the couch. “The lady at Daddy’s new house.”
My stomach tightened. “Victoria?”
Mateo didn’t know her name, but his description made it clear who he meant. Julian had stepped onto the balcony for several minutes to answer a business call. Sophia had tried to follow her father, and Victoria had taken hold of the four-year-old’s arm to bring her back inside.
“She said Sophia was
