"Now we wait," Jude said, studying her carefully. Even sitting still, she radiated nervous energy, her fingers twisting together on the table. "But while we're here, I'd like to ask you a few more questions, if that's all right."
"Of course."
Dr. Reeves packed up her equipment. "I'll see myself out. Angela, it was lovely meeting you."
After the doctor left, silence settled over the small room. Jude could see Angela's shoulders tense further, and Kiara reached over to squeeze her hands.
"You mentioned that your adoptive father still comes looking for you," Jude said carefully. "How often does that happen?"
Angela's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "At least once a week. Sometimes Craig comes instead."
"Craig?"
"Jim's other adopted child," Kiara explained, her voice holding an edge.
Jude's protective instincts sharpened at the tone in Kiara's voice. "Other adopted child?"
"He's older than us," Angela said quietly.
“Jim and Sandra adopted him after they adopted Angie,” Kiara said. “He was ten at the time. They adopted me when I was eight, and by that point, Angie was five, and Craig was twelve.”
"And he helps your adoptive father try to convince you to return?"
Angela's fingers twisted together more tightly. "He can sometimes be very aggressive about it."
The carefully controlled words told Jude everything he needed to know. His jaw clenched, but he kept his expression neutral. "Aggressive how?"
"He just…" Angela glanced at Kiara, who nodded encouragingly. "He follows me sometimes. Makes comments about how we owe Jim everything. He keeps telling me that at some point we’ll be back there, whether we want to be or not."
Jude's blood ran cold. The idea that someone was threatening Angelica—Duncan's daughter—made every protective instinct he possessed roar to life. He wanted to load the pair up into the SUV and drive right out of Briar Hollow.
But he couldn't do that or reveal the truth yet. Not until they had official confirmation.
"Has he ever hurt you?" The question came out rougher than he had intended.
Angela shook her head quickly. "No. Not physically. He just… intimidates."
"What about your adoptive father?"
The silence stretched too long. Angela's gaze dropped to her hands, and Kiara's expression darkened.
"Jim believes in discipline," Angela finally whispered. "He had very strict rules about everything when we were growing up. How we dressed, what we said, when we could speak."
“And your adoptive mother?” Jude prompted. “How was she?”
“She wasn’t as strict,” Kiara said. “But she carried out Jim’s wishes.”
“Do you know anything about their lives before they adopted you?”
Angela shrugged. “Not much. Jim mentioned working as a cop and then doing private security, and Sandra said she was a nanny. They decided to move to the homestead so that they could live self-reliant lives and raise us the way they wanted to, without schools or other people interfering.”
Jude was a bit surprised that Jim had revealed the truth of their past. “Did he talk about how they came to adopt you, Angela?”
“They always just said that they took each of us from bad situations,” Angela said.
“And you don’t remember anything from before they adopted you.”
Angela shook her head, her expression growing more troubled. "I've tried so many times to remember something—anything—but there's just nothing there. But it’s probably just as well since I didn’t have a good family before they adopted me.”
