\u201cThe Day Maya Realized Her Father\u2019s Death Might Not Have Been Natural\u2026\u201d
\nMaya couldn\u2019t breathe.
\nThe hallway suddenly felt too small.
\nToo hot.
\nToo loud.
\n\u201cNo,\u201d she whispered instantly. \u201cNo, that\u2019s impossible.\u201d
\nRichard looked devastated.
\n\u201cI prayed for years that I was wrong.\u201d
\nValerie pressed her baby tightly against her chest, staring at Maya with horror.
\nThe detective slowly stepped closer.
\n\u201cSir,\u201d he asked Richard carefully, \u201care you officially alleging homicide?\u201d
\nRichard hesitated.
\nThat hesitation alone terrified Maya.
\n\u201cI\u2019m saying,\u201d he answered slowly, \u201cthat concerns were raised\u2026 then buried.\u201d
\nMaya\u2019s legs nearly gave out.
\nShe grabbed the apartment doorway for support.
\nInside, Lucy babbled softly, completely unaware that her mother\u2019s entire reality was collapsing piece by piece.
\n\u201cMy father died from a stroke,\u201d Maya whispered.
\nRichard looked down.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s what the final report stated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Final report.
\nThe wording hit her immediately.
\nNot original report.
\nFinal report.
\nMaya\u2019s chest tightened painfully.
\n\u201cWhen my father died\u2026\u201d she whispered slowly, \u201cAlice handled everything.\u201d
\nRichard closed his eyes briefly.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nFlashbacks exploded through Maya\u2019s mind instantly.
\nAlice insisting on paperwork.
\nAlice controlling funeral arrangements.
\nAlice speaking for doctors.
\nAlice telling Maya she was \u201ctoo emotional\u201d to review documents herself.<\/p>\n
Oh God.<\/p>\n
Oh God.<\/p>\n
The detective noticed Maya trembling.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Bennett,\u201d he said gently, \u201cmaybe we should continue this conversation downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Maya answered immediately.<\/p>\n
She looked toward Lucy\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter stays with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie suddenly spoke up quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
Tears rolled down her cheeks now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen David was drunk one night\u2026\u201d she whispered, \u201c\u2026he said his mother taught him that rich women only survive if they stay emotionally dependent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya felt sick.<\/p>\n
Valerie wiped her face shakily.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said vulnerable people sign things faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hallway went silent again.<\/p>\n
Richard looked furious now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat woman manipulated your grief.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s hands shook uncontrollably.<\/p>\n
Because suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
she remembered something.<\/p>\n
The hospital after her father died.<\/p>\n
Alice bringing soup.
\nTea.
\nMedication.<\/p>\n
Always insisting Maya sleep.<\/p>\n
Always insisting:
\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry about paperwork, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya looked up slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the coroner?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s face darkened immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe died in a car accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective exchanged a quick look with the officers.<\/p>\n
And Maya noticed.<\/p>\n
They already knew.<\/p>\n
Her pulse accelerated violently.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think my father was murdered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered immediately.<\/p>\n
That silence was worse than confirmation.<\/p>\n
Then\u2014<\/p>\n
inside the apartment\u2014<\/p>\n
Lucy started crying again.<\/p>\n
A loud, innocent cry.<\/p>\n
Maya instantly turned toward the sound.<\/p>\n
And suddenly everything became clear.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t just about the past anymore.<\/p>\n
This was about her daughter.<\/p>\n
Because if people were truly capable of this\u2026<\/p>\n
how far would they go to protect themselves now?<\/p>\n
Fear crawled up Maya\u2019s spine for the first time since the baby shower.<\/p>\n
Real fear.<\/p>\n
Not heartbreak.<\/p>\n
Not betrayal.<\/p>\n
Danger.<\/p>\n
The detective noticed her expression immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can place temporary protection around you if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie suddenly looked terrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows where I live too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked between both women grimly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlice Mercer doesn\u2019t panic when cornered,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cShe calculates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost on cue\u2014<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s phone buzzed in her hand.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
Slowly\u2026<\/p>\n
Maya answered.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Hello?\u201d<\/p>\n
At first, only breathing.<\/p>\n
Then\u2014<\/p>\n
Alice\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
Calm.
\nSoft.
\nCold.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have stayed quiet, Maya.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every hair on Maya\u2019s body stood up.<\/p>\n
The detective instantly motioned for silence.<\/p>\n
Maya switched the phone to speaker slowly.<\/p>\n
Alice continued speaking as if discussing weather.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou embarrassed my son.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie looked horrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe destroyed himself,\u201d Maya whispered.<\/p>\n
Alice laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, dear. Weak women destroy men every day and call it survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective was already signaling another officer to trace the call.<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s voice shook now.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you kill my father?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Three seconds.<\/p>\n
Four.<\/p>\n
Then Alice answered gently:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still don\u2019t understand how dangerous inheritance makes people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Valerie covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Even the detective\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
Alice continued calmly:<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father was never going to let David control that money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked sick now.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd unfortunately,\u201d Alice sighed softly, \u201cstubborn men sometimes die very suddenly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya nearly collapsed.<\/p>\n
The detective immediately stepped forward.<\/p>\n
But Alice wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now,\u201d she whispered, \u201cyou are making the same mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
CLICK.<\/p>\n
The line disconnected.<\/p>\n
Silence exploded through the hallway.<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Nobody breathed.<\/p>\n
Maya stared at the dead phone screen while her entire body trembled violently.<\/p>\n
The detective took the phone carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat call was a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Richard whispered darkly.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at him.<\/p>\n
His face had gone pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a confession.\u201d<\/p>\n
And downstairs\u2014<\/p>\n
outside in the snowy street\u2014<\/p>\n
a black luxury car slowly pulled away from the curb.<\/p>\n
The same car Alice used to drive to Maya\u2019s apartment when pretending to be family.<\/p>\n
# \u201cAfter Alice\u2019s Phone Call\u2026 Maya Realized the Nightmare Was Far From Over.\u201d<\/p>\n
The black car disappeared into the snowy traffic.<\/p>\n
But Alice\u2019s words stayed behind.<\/p>\n
Like poison in the walls.<\/p>\n
Maya stood frozen in the hallway while Lucy cried inside the apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cStubborn men sometimes die very suddenly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence replayed in her mind over and over again.<\/p>\n
The detective took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to move quickly now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard nodded immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows we reopened the trust records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie looked terrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think she\u2019ll actually do something?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered her directly.<\/p>\n
That silence was enough.<\/p>\n
Maya finally forced herself to move.<\/p>\n
She opened the apartment door and rushed straight to Lucy.<\/p>\n
The second she picked her up, her daughter calmed slightly against her chest.<\/p>\n
Warm.
\nSafe.
\nAlive.<\/p>\n
Maya buried her face in Lucy\u2019s hair and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Everything she feared was suddenly bigger now.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t only betrayal.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t only greed.<\/p>\n
It might be murder.<\/p>\n
And if Alice truly had something to do with her father\u2019s death\u2026<\/p>\n
then nobody around David\u2019s family was safe.<\/p>\n
Not Maya.
\nNot Valerie.
\nNot the babies.<\/p>\n
The detective entered carefully behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Bennett, we strongly advise temporary relocation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya immediately shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may be at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard stepped closer gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya\u2026 your father bought this place to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears instantly burned her eyes again.<\/p>\n
Protect you.<\/p>\n
Even after death\u2026
\nher father had tried to save her.<\/p>\n
Valerie suddenly spoke from near the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came to my apartment last month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d the detective asked.<\/p>\n
Valerie nodded shakily.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if I ever turned against David, no court would protect a \u2018girl with no real family connections.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s stomach twisted.<\/p>\n
That sounded exactly like Alice.<\/p>\n
Elegant threats wrapped in polite language.<\/p>\n
The detective wrote something quickly in his notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll need a full statement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t understand how serious this was until today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked at her carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat made you finally search David\u2019s laptop?\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie went quiet.<\/p>\n
Then slowly answered:<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he started hiding money from me too.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sentence hit the room hard.<\/p>\n
Of course he did.<\/p>\n
Men like David never stop.<\/p>\n
They simply move to the next victim.<\/p>\n
Valerie sat down slowly on Maya\u2019s couch holding her baby boy while snow tapped softly against the windows outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe promised Matthew would grow up differently,\u201d she whispered. \u201cHe said he wanted to be a better father this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya looked at Lucy sleeping against her shoulder.<\/p>\n
And strangely\u2026<\/p>\n
she no longer felt hatred toward Valerie.<\/p>\n
Just sadness.<\/p>\n
Because both of them had believed promises from the same broken man.<\/p>\n
The detective\u2019s phone suddenly rang.<\/p>\n
He answered quietly near the kitchen window.<\/p>\n
His expression changed immediately.<\/p>\n
Bad.<\/p>\n
Very bad.<\/p>\n
When he hung up, everyone looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Maya asked.<\/p>\n
The detective hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then finally said:<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid requested emergency protective custody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom who?\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked directly at Maya.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence crashed through the apartment.<\/p>\n
Richard swore under his breath.<\/p>\n
Maya slowly sat down.<\/p>\n
Because suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
David\u2019s fear at the hallway made sense.<\/p>\n
Not fear of prison.<\/p>\n
Fear of Alice.<\/p>\n
The detective continued carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claims his mother moved money through several shell accounts connected to the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe used him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Maya whispered.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
And Maya realized the truth out loud for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe raised him this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The apartment went silent again.<\/p>\n
Because that was the tragedy.<\/p>\n
David wasn\u2019t born evil.<\/p>\n
He was trained.<\/p>\n
Manipulation.
\nControl.
\nDependency.
\nGreed.<\/p>\n
All learned at home.<\/p>\n
Lucy stirred softly against Maya\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n
The detective checked his watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re assigning patrol surveillance outside tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya nodded numbly.<\/p>\n
Everything felt unreal now.<\/p>\n
Then\u2014<\/p>\n
someone knocked softly at the apartment door.<\/p>\n
Everyone froze instantly.<\/p>\n
The detective motioned for silence and moved carefully toward the entrance.<\/p>\n
Another knock.<\/p>\n
Gentle.<\/p>\n
Not aggressive.<\/p>\n
The detective checked through the peephole first.<\/p>\n
Then his face changed.<\/p>\n
Confusion.<\/p>\n
He slowly opened the door.<\/p>\n
A woman stood outside.<\/p>\n
Older.
\nElegant.
\nGray wool coat dusted with snow.<\/p>\n
And the second Maya saw her\u2014<\/p>\n
her heart nearly stopped.<\/p>\n
Because she recognized the woman immediately.<\/p>\n
It was the nurse from the hospital where her father died.<\/p>\n
The same nurse who disappeared after the funeral.<\/p>\n
The woman looked directly at Maya with trembling eyes.<\/p>\n
Then whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have come years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya couldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n
The nurse stepped inside slowly.<\/p>\n
Her hands were shaking badly now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw what Alice did,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
And suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
the entire room went silent enough to hear Lucy breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nurse Finally Revealed What Happened the Night Maya\u2019s Father Died\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The apartment became completely still.<\/p>\n
Even the city noise outside seemed distant now.<\/p>\n
The older nurse stood near the doorway trembling slightly while melted snow dripped from her coat onto Maya\u2019s hardwood floor.<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s heartbeat pounded so hard it hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
The nurse nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you moved overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried,\u201d the nurse answered bitterly. \u201cTurns out guilt travels.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stepped forward carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, I\u2019m Detective Harris. Before you say anything further, understand this may become an official statement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse gave a tired laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know exactly what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked directly at Maya.<\/p>\n
And suddenly her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look just like your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
That almost broke Maya immediately.<\/p>\n
Lucy shifted softly against her chest while Valerie sat frozen on the couch clutching Matthew tightly.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Finally, the nurse whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father was awake the night before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked equally shocked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hospital report said he never regained consciousness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The nurse nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the revised report.\u201d<\/p>\n
Revised.<\/p>\n
Another altered truth.<\/p>\n
Maya felt sick.<\/p>\n
The nurse removed her gloves carefully, revealing trembling hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked the overnight cardiac wing at St. Vincent\u2019s then,\u201d she explained quietly. \u201cYour father had stabilized around midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s entire body went rigid.<\/p>\n
No.
\nNo no no\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked for you,\u201d the nurse whispered.<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s eyes filled instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept saying your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy suddenly made a tiny sleepy sound against Maya\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n
And somehow that made everything hurt more.<\/p>\n
The nurse continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective took notes rapidly now.<\/p>\n
\u201cScared of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said if anything happened to him, Alice Mercer should never control the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Richard cursed softly under his breath.<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s vision blurred.<\/p>\n
Her father knew.<\/p>\n
Somehow\u2026<\/p>\n
he knew.<\/p>\n
The nurse wiped at her eyes quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted his lawyer called immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard frowned deeply.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never got a call.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room turned cold.<\/p>\n
Maya whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse looked physically ill now.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Alice arrived first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Outside, snow continued falling softly beyond the apartment windows.<\/p>\n
The nurse swallowed hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came around two in the morning. Elegant. Calm. Perfect makeup even at that hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sounded exactly like Alice.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe insisted she would handle family matters personally.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective interrupted carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she legally authorized?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was she allowed access?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse looked ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
Because everybody understood.<\/p>\n
The nurse continued shakily:<\/p>\n
\u201cShe donated heavily to the hospital foundation. Administrators treated her like royalty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya felt fury boiling inside her chest now.<\/p>\n
The nurse looked at Maya again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father became agitated after Alice entered the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s expression darkened immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgitated how?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe started trying to remove his IVs. His heart rate spiked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya held Lucy tighter unconsciously.<\/p>\n
The nurse\u2019s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept repeating the same sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s throat tightened painfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat sentence?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse closed her eyes briefly.<\/p>\n
Then whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let her touch the papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The apartment went silent again.<\/p>\n
Even Valerie started crying softly now.<\/p>\n
The detective leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then finally answered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI left briefly to retrieve additional medication.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s stomach dropped instantly.<\/p>\n
No.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I returned\u2026\u201d the nurse whispered, \u201c\u2026Alice was alone beside his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked furious now.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse\u2019s breathing shook visibly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was holding a syringe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything stopped.<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s entire body went ice cold.<\/p>\n
Valerie gasped loudly.<\/p>\n
The detective\u2019s voice hardened immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you report this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse broke down crying now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told my supervisor immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey suspended me two days later for \u2018professional instability.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard swore again.<\/p>\n
The detective looked furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the syringe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s chest hurt so badly she thought she might faint.<\/p>\n
Lucy stirred again against her.<\/p>\n
Warm.
\nAlive.
\nSafe.<\/p>\n
Unlike her father.<\/p>\n
The nurse continued through tears:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe toxicology retest was requested by the coroner afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard whispered darkly:<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the coroner died.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
Maya looked physically ill now.<\/p>\n
Because suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
this wasn\u2019t suspicion anymore.<\/p>\n
This was a pattern.<\/p>\n
People connected to the truth kept disappearing.<\/p>\n
The detective stood immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need protective detail assigned tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Maya barely heard them.<\/p>\n
Her mind kept replaying one image:<\/p>\n
Alice standing beside her father\u2019s hospital bed holding a syringe.<\/p>\n
The same woman who later smiled at baby showers.
\nBrought pastries.
\nCalled her \u201choney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monsters rarely look like monsters.<\/p>\n
Sometimes they look like family.<\/p>\n
Suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
someone buzzed the apartment downstairs.<\/p>\n
Everyone froze instantly.<\/p>\n
The detective moved quickly toward the intercom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Static crackled briefly.<\/p>\n
Then\u2014<\/p>\n
Alice\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
Soft.<\/p>\n
Calm.<\/p>\n
Terrifying.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya,\u201d she said gently, \u201cyou really should stop digging before more people get hurt.\u201d\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Day Maya Realized Her Father\u2019s Death Might Not Have Been Natural\u2026\u201d Maya couldn\u2019t breathe. The hallway suddenly felt too small. Too hot. Too loud. \u201cNo,\u201d she whispered instantly. \u201cNo, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2068"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2072,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068\/revisions\/2072"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}