"Bring the child."
The judge's voice didn't just fill the courtroom—it settled into it, heavy and irreversible, like a command that could not be ignored or delayed. Vivian felt the words land somewhere deep in her chest, where they stayed long after the silence returned
.
They didn't waste time.
There was no debate, no pause for reflection, no space for fear to settle properly. The system had already shifted the moment the order was given.
Within minutes, they were moving.
The car pulled out fast, cutting through traffic with urgency that matched the tension inside it. Vivian sat in the back seat, the baby held tightly against her chest, her arms firm in a way that betrayed no emotion, though her mind was far from still. Every breath she took felt measured, controlled, like she was holding herself together by force alone.
Sebastian sat beside her.
Silent.
Focused.
