Olivia murmured polite things while her eyes darted between his face and the sleeping baby. When Daniel kissed her temple, she flinched so subtly that Elise almost missed it. Almost. Years of experience had trained her to read the language of fear disguised as love.
When Elise approached to check the baby’s vitals, Daniel stepped forward slightly. “You don’t need to take her away,” he said. His tone was smooth but threaded with steel. “She stays with us.” Elise smiled politely, professionally, but felt the chill of a boundary being drawn.