Chapter 7
Night settled over the hotel suite, bringing a deep, heavy quiet. Maya had fallen asleep on the living room sofa under a pile of hotel blankets, worn out by the emotional turbulence of the day. Leo was tucked into the king-sized bed in the adjoining bedroom, swallowed by crisp white sheets, his breathing slow and even as exhaustion finally claimed him. Alejandro sat at the small mahogany desk in the corner of the bedroom, the desk lamp casting a warm circle of light over his laptop and a legal notepad. He had spent the last two hours on the phone with a trusted family attorney, laying out the situation with clinical precision, omitting the more dramatic details while emphasizing the urgent need for emergency documentation, DNA verification, and medical clearances. The lawyer, a cautious man named Vance, had warned him of the potential complications—media scrutiny, tax implications, and the inevitable questions from his ex-wife, who still held joint custody of Maya. As Alejandro stared at the glowing screen, a soft click echoed from the doorway. He looked up to see Leo standing in the shadows of the bedroom threshold, clutching the edge of the blanket around his shoulders like a cape. The boy's eyes were wide, reflecting the ambient light from the street below. "Can't sleep?" Alejandro asked softly, closing the laptop lid with a quiet thud. Leo shook his head, stepping hesitantly into the room. He didn't say anything, but the unmistakable posture of fear and displacement spoke volumes. Alejandro stood up from the desk, walking over and kneeling down beside the edge of the mattress. "Bad dream?" Leo looked down at his bare feet peeking out from beneath the blanket. "I thought the cabin door was open," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I thought the snow was coming in." Alejandro reached out, placing a firm, reassuring hand on the boy's small shoulder. "You're not in the cabin anymore, Leo. Look around the room. You're safe here. Nobody is getting in." Leo looked up, searching Alejandro's eyes for reassurance, and slowly let out a long breath.
