A nurse from the hospital’s postpartum program checked on her.
Paige’s college friend Simone drove from Charlotte and slept on the sofa so Paige would not be alone.
Bryce remained at the beach.
Online, he posted photographs of family dinners, ocean views, and smiling captions about protecting his peace.
Privately, his messages grew more frantic.
First he demanded access.
Then he begged.
Then he accused Paige of kidnapping their daughter, despite having made no attempt to return and see her.
Finally, he sent a message that revealed more than he intended.
“My mother already promised people that house would be available.
You cannot ruin everything because you’re angry.”
Mara asked Paige whether she knew what he meant.
She did not.
They found the answer in Bryce’s email, which remained logged into a tablet he had left in the kitchen.
Mara instructed Paige not to search broadly or alter anything.
Instead, they documented what was already visible and arranged for a forensic professional to preserve the device properly.
The visible inbox showed correspondence between Bryce, Donna, and a man named Carter Bell.
Carter was Donna’s brother.
He had been trying to open an event venue near Raleigh but could not secure financing.
Donna had promised him access to Paige’s property as collateral.
In one message, she wrote that Paige would sign after the baby arrived because exhaustion would make her easier to manage.
Bryce responded, “She always gives in when I go quiet.”
Another message from Donna read, “If she resists, remind her that a court can take the baby from an unstable mother.”
Paige read that sentence twice.
Then she put down the tablet and walked upstairs.
She did not scream.
She did not break anything.
She stood beside the crib and watched her daughter sleep, one tiny fist resting near her cheek.
For months, Paige had blamed herself for the tension in her marriage.
She thought pregnancy had made her sensitive.
She believed Bryce when he said she was difficult, controlling, or disrespectful toward his mother.
The messages showed something colder.
They had studied her vulnerabilities and planned to use them.
On Friday morning, a judge granted Paige temporary exclusive possession of the house pending a fuller hearing.
The order also established a temporary schedule for Bryce to request appropriate contact with the baby through counsel rather than appearing without notice.
Bryce learned about the order while eating breakfast at the beach rental.
Within an hour, he was driving back to Raleigh with Donna and Lily behind him.
They arrived shortly after sunset.
Paige saw their vehicles stop at the curb through the upstairs window.
Julian had advised her not to engage.
Mara was present, as was Simone.
A police officer stood nearby to keep the peace during the scheduled collection of essential belongings.
Bryce walked toward the porch as if the house still answered to him.
He entered his old code.
Red.
He tried again.
Red.
Donna stared at the keypad.
For the first time, Paige understood exactly what they had wanted her to feel.
Bryce pounded on the door.
“Paige! Open this now!”
The officer stepped forward and asked him to lower his voice.
Mara opened the door but remained in the entryway.
“You may collect the items listed in the order.
You have thirty minutes.”
