When Juliana fell down the stairs, she waspletely alone. No one else was there.


    To everyone else, it just looked like a terrible ident.


    Juliana was lost in the pain of losing her baby. She''d checked the steps after her fall and found nothing strange, so she chalked it up to her own clumsiness.


    Her mind was in chaos-grief tangled with anxiety about the future, and a desperate fear that Scott might not want her anymore.


    Scott stayed with her at the hospital for a while, then said, "I''m heading home to change. Try to get some rest, okay? Don''t worry too much."


    "Scott, do you me me?" Juliana''s cheeks were streaked with tears that never seemed to dry.


    He frowned. "Don''t overthink it."


    He didn''t say anything else before leaving the hospital.


    It would''ve been a lie to say he wasn''t hurting. Scott had been looking forward to the baby''s arrival too, but his grief didn''t run as deep as Juliana''s.


    Back at the Stranz house, the maids cleaned the staircase from top to bottom, scrubbing away even the tiniest trace of blood.


    One maid paused as she wiped a step. Was that... peanut oil? She leaned in and sniffed again. Yes, definitely peanut oil.


    Did Juliana slip because of this?


    The maid''s heart pounded. Cleaning was her job. If Mrs. Stranz found out that her fall—and the miscarriage—was because she''d missed something, she''d not only lose her job, she''d be in real trouble.


    She hurried to wipe away everyst drop, then sprayed air freshener to mask the scent.


    She didn''t dare try to figure out who''d spilled the oil. All she wanted was to keep herself out of trouble.


    She had just finished when Scott returned. The maid greeted him nervously. "Sir.” He just nodded and headed upstairs.


    The maid let out a shaky breath. No one med her. She decided to keep this secret buried deep.


    ***


    Across town, the Wisman family birthday celebration had rolled right into dinner.


    Scott had left in a rush. Jonah called to check in and found out that Juliana had fallen and lost the baby.


    Herman and Anastasia, sitting together, overheard the call.


    Anastasia''s eyes went wide. "She lost the baby?"


    After Jonah hung up, he said, "It''s serious. They had to remove her uterus.”


    Anastasia''s heart clenched for Juliana. As a woman, she could imagine that pain all too well.


    She''d been there herself.


    Juliana''s ident made Anastasia''s old fears surge up-sometimes the worst does happen, no matter how careful you are.


    How could she have just fallen down the stairs like that?


    Carter shook his head. "What a shame. Scott''s nearly forty, waited so long for this kid and now, just like that, it''s gone."


    Everyone in their social circle knew the Stranz family''s story.


    They were all about the same age. Carter''s son was already in elementary school, about to start middle school.


    Jonah''s son, Justin, was a prodigy—he''d taught himself all the high school material and be the youngest kid ever to be epted into college.


    Of course, Justin didn''t actually need to go to college yet. He just took the exam to prove he could.


    Every time this came up, Carter couldn''t help feeling a pang about


    his own son. The boys were the


    same age, yet Justin could ace any college entrance exam while Andrew was still elementary


    school and had even repeated a


    grade. It was hard not to feel


    embarrassed.


    Carter nced over at Andrew, who was bouncing around the banquet like a little


    monkey, and looked away, shaking his head.


    Andrew had a knack for stirring


    things up. Even though he''d repeated a grade and wasn''t much of a student, his energy and leadership made him the ringleader among the kids. The others followed him everywhere.


    Andrew was a handful. Paradise never really liked tagging along, but Andrew was relentless-calling her name tugging her along, loudly dering he''d marry her one day


    she didn''t join in.


    Paradise red at him. "Andrew, how can you be so shameless?"


    He grinned. "Shameless? Not me! Go ahead, pinch my face if you don''t believe me."


    He leaned in, offering his cheek.


    Suddenly, his face screwed up in pain.


    Justin had reached out and pinched him. "Feels pretty thick to me."


    "Ow!" Andrew rubbed his cheek. “Justin, you really went for it!"


    Paradise couldn''t help butugh.