Chapter 6 — The First Crack
Ethan couldn't sleep.
The sound from the charity gala echoed in his mind.
Not soft.
Not natural.
Plastic.
Every adult had ignored it.
Everyone except him.
The next morning, Vanessa appeared downstairs wearing a loose sweater.
Nathan kissed her forehead.
"How's my little family?"
She smiled sweetly.
"The baby kept kicking all night."
Nathan laughed.
"Our little athlete."
Ethan looked down at his cereal.
Vanessa had claimed to be fourteen weeks pregnant.
His science teacher had recently explained fetal development.
At fourteen weeks, babies were still too small for most mothers—especially first-time mothers—to feel regular kicks.
Yet Vanessa described them almost every day.
She was either incredibly lucky...
Or lying.
Later that afternoon, Ethan searched online at the school library.
"When can mothers usually feel baby kicks?"
The answer appeared on every medical website.
Usually between sixteen and twenty-four weeks.
He printed the page.
Folded it carefully.
Added it to his notebook.
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For the first time, he wasn't collecting suspicions.
He was collecting evidence.
