“You might have brought her back, Gretchen but she's not stepping into this house.” He half growled, before jerking his hand from hers and walking past her.

“And Ellie?!” She cried, tears now making its way down her cheeks. “Do you care to know what the child must have felt being separated from her family?” She turned around slowly to find him halted in his tracks. She took angry strides toward him until she was standing before him once again. “I won't... I won't stand by and let Ellie be taken away again. I will bring the devil back here if I have to. I'll do anything! ” She spat, finding it difficult to breathe for the air all of a sudden felt thick.

For a while, they stood staring at each other. The frown on Ethan's face maintained its position as she searched his eyes. Fury clouded his eyes, burning so bright in them, it was nearly impossible to see the other emotion buried underneath it, until she looked very closely; fear. Ethan wasn't one to show how vulnerable he really was, but after living with him for all these months, Gretchen had learned to find his hidden emotions... Or perhaps he had learned to show them to her?

Heaving a breath, she covered the short distance between them, and took his trembling hand in hers. “Ethan...”

He shook his head then. “You did, Gretchen...” He said, pulling his hand away. “You brought the devil home.” He finished, before turning to make his way past her.

And she knew he was right.

**

LEAVING ELLIE'S SIDE that evening was difficult, but Gretchen knew she was left with no other choice; she couldn't sleep in the nursery with Ellie because she knew her conversation with Ethan wasn't over.

When Ethan walked away from her that afternoon, she had been caught between going after him and going back to usher Juliet in. Somehow, she knew Ethan wouldn't try to stop her from bringing Juliet into the house, but she also knew he would never support her decision. And she needed his support.

Choosing to return to Juliet, she ushered her into the building and returned a sleeping Ellie to her crib.

With one final kiss planted on the sleeping child's chubby cheek, she was sure to place her in the care of two maids before leaving the nursery that evening. Juliet had been given a different room on the second floor of the building —more for the purpose of keeping her as far away from Ellie as was humanly possible, than it was to keep her comfortable. Thankfully, she hadn't seemed to mind.

Reaching the room she shared with Ethan, she stood still for several seconds before the closed door, with her hand poised on the door knob. She knew he was in there and that he was upset. She knew her decision to go against his will by bringing Juliet home, displeased him greatly, and it was as a result of this knowledge that she stood nervously by the door.