Claire’s eyes filled. “I was angry.”
“And Lily?”
Claire shook her head quickly. “That was not me. I swear, Rowan. Evelyn said there was a medical issue and Megan couldn’t handle three babies alone. She said Lily would be placed temporarily until things calmed down.”
“For a year?”
Claire looked at Evelyn. “You said it was temporary.”
Evelyn did not answer.
Rowan felt the terrible shape of the truth forming.
“It was never temporary,” he said.
His mother’s face hardened. “Lily was placed with a proper family.”
The words emptied the room.
Rowan’s hands curled at his sides. “Who?”
“I won’t tell you.”
“Yes, you will.”
“No.” Evelyn lifted her chin. “Because the moment you find that child, you will drag her into a custody battle, into headlines, into Megan’s instability and your guilt. I did what you were too emotional to do. I protected the Bellamy bloodline.”
