Chapter 6 Necklace

Belle's POV: "No!" My eyes widened involuntarily, terror sending a rush of adrenaline through my body, numbing the pain as I started to run. I leaped forward, desperate to catch my daughter. But I failed. My fingers brushed against her tiny hand, but I couldn't grab hold! My precious child fell heavily to the ground, and then I did too. After that, everything went black ... ... "No!" I jolted awake, screaming, the strong smell of antiseptics filling my nose. Am I ... alive? Where's Moona? "You're finally awake!" It was my sister's familiar voice—Veronica Harmon. I clutched her hand, tears streaming down my face. "Veronica! Where's Moona? Where is she?" "She's safe and sound at home. But you ... you fell really hard." Veronica gently pressed me back against the hospital bed. "What happened that day? How did you and Moona both end up falling off the stairs? "Erin nearly had a heart attack when she found you both lying on the floor unconscious." After that, I couldn't hear anything else. My mind was completely focused on the fact that Moona was safe. "I need to go home ... I need to go home ... " Ignoring my sister's protests, I insisted on leaving. It wasn't until I saw my little girl, unharmed and calling me "Mommy," that I finally felt like my soul was back in my body. She really was alright! Relief flooded over me, followed by intense waves of pain from my injuries. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. "Mommy!" "Mommy!" Both Moona and Sunny called out as they rushed over to help me. In the end, Veronica had to lift me back onto a chair. Worry was written all over her face. "Belle, what on earth happened?" I recounted everything that happened before I lost consciousness, and my sister was furious. But when it came to how exactly I fell, I shook my head—I couldn't say. Everything had happened so fast. I decided not to go back to the hospital. My sister left shortly afterward to deal with business at her clothing factory, leaving me with Moona and Sunny. "Mommy, are you thirsty? Do you want some water?" "Mommy, are you hungry? Do you want an apple pie?" "Mommy ... " "Well, Mommy doesn't need anything," I said, smiling fondly at my two children. They were so thoughtful, and I felt so lucky to have them. But as I looked at Moona's bright, happy face, a trace of doubt crept into my heart. It seemed like she'd completely forgotten about what happened that day ... I didn't know if it was some kind of selective amnesia triggered by trauma, but I knew it was best not to press her. So, holding back my curiosity, I didn't ask Moona about that day. After dinner, once Moona and Sunny were both asleep, I called Erin over to get more details about what had happened. Talking about that day, Erin's face was still pale with lingering fear. "That day, after I finished tidying up the living room, I realized Moona was missing, so I went to look for her. But as soon as I got to the staircase, I saw you both lying on the floor with your eyes closed. It looked like ... you were dead. "I immediately ran to get help and had both of you sent to the hospital. "The doctor told me Moona was fine, but you were seriously injured and needed at least a week of bed rest." "Did you see a woman in sportswear?" I pressed. Erin shook her head. "No, when I got downstairs, it was just you and Moona in the shop." I clenched my teeth. "She must have run off. She's the one who dropped Moona! I need to report this to the police." The bakery has security cameras. I could take the footage to the police—she hurt my daughter, and she should be held accountable. But when I checked the footage on my computer, I was shocked to find that the recordings from that day were gone. She'd deleted them! This meant, even if I did track her down, I'd have no proof and no way to press charges! Anger burned in my chest, simmering until Erin said something that snapped me out of it. "Oh, by the way, Belle, I forgot to tell you—Moona's necklace has a crack in it." Her words jolted me back to reality. My heart skipped a beat as I rushed to Moona's room, gently pulling back her collar to check. Sure enough, the small, round pendant on her necklace had a visible crack. "This is bad ... " I murmured. That necklace had been a gift from my doctor friend who had helped me with the IVF treatment. When she learned I was expecting twins, she went out of her way to give me these two necklaces. She'd said, "When the children are born, make sure they wear these at all times. They'll protect them from harm."