Despite my love and trust for my mother, a part of me couldn't shake off the unsettling thought that she could be capable of hurting her own daughter.
The detective's words planted that seed in my brain and now I feel like my whole world is collapsing. How can I even begin to process the fact that my own mother is now a suspect? My heart is torn between loyalty and doubt, leaving me feeling lost and conflicted.
"No," I say firmly. It doesn't make any sense. She wasn't even home the night of the murder then, and she was nowhere near me when I got poisoned," I add.
Detective Jim nods his head. "I suppose you have a point there."
"It has to be Axel." Sadness envelopes me as I say the words. For some reason, a tiny part of me hopes it isn't him.
Jim's gaze remains steady, analyzing my wor
