Page 43 of The Devil’s Lair

In the aftermath, Rebecca La Salle has found herself fighting not only public vilification, but also a custody battle. Marcus’s parents, Felicity and Preston La Salle, have launched legal proceedings to gain custody of their four-year-old granddaughter, Isla, citing Rebecca’s alleged mental instability and incompetence as a mother.

Legal experts familiar with the case describe the La Salles claims as “baseless” and “potentially libelous.”

In a surprise twist, Rebecca and her young daughter have found sanctuary in the wake of the tragedy at Oakleigh, the ancestral home of the De Vil family.

“Tobias and Rebecca have formed a bond through shared trauma,” our source reveals. “There’s a mutual understanding and respect between them. They’re two people who survived something horrific together.”

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the De Vils issued the following statement: “The De Vil family stands firmly behind Mrs. La Salle and her daughter. We have witnessed firsthand the strength and courage of this young woman, and we will not stand idly by while her character is assassinated by those seeking to rewrite a tragedy to suit their own ends. The La Salles’ attempt to gain custody of Isla through a campaign of lies is unconscionable, and we will use every resource at our disposal to expose the truth.”

As the investigation continues, and custody proceedings loom, one thing becomes increasingly clear: Rebecca La Salle is not the villain some corners of the media have portrayed her to be. She’s a survivor, a mother fighting for her child, and a woman who has already suffered immeasurably at the hands of her deceased husband.

The La Salle family declined to comment for this article.

The piece ends with the phone number for the national domestic abuse helpline. I blink once, twice, a third time. What the hell just happened?

“Isla, let’s go and find Tobias.” I slide my phone into my pocket and hold out my hand for her to take. It’s after nine, so he’ll probably be at work.

As we approach Tobias’s office, Bea rises from her chair, her smile warm and friendly.

“Morning, Rebecca, Isla.” From somewhere, she produces a lollypop and hands it to Isla, who takes it and immediately shoves it in her mouth.

“Say thank you to Bea.”

Isla sticks up her thumb. Bea smiles. “You’re welcome, darling.”

“Is he available?”

“He has a nine-thirty, but he’s free until then. Go on in. I’ll watch Isla if you like.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to refuse, my go-to reflex. Instead, I nod. “Thanks. That’d be great.” I slide my hand from Isla’s. “Stay here with Bea, pumpkin. I won’t be long.”

I tap on Tobias’s door, then enter. He looks up and grins, beckoning to me. “Morning.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you. Bea said you were free until nine-thirty.”

“Of course not.” He closes the lid on his laptop and waves at the chair on the other side of his desk. “Take a seat. Everything okay? Isla all right?”

“She’s great. I left her with Bea. On the subject of Isla… “ I bite my lip. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but can you stop buying her so many toys? She’s got more than enough.”

“Ah.” He leans back in his chair, a grimace crinkling the skin around his eyes. “I’m spoiling her, aren’t I?”

“A little bit.”

“Message received, loud and clear. I’ll keep the gift giving to birthdays and Christmas from now on.”

“I appreciate that.” I lift my phone from my pocket and open it to the article. “Is this your doing?” I pass him my phone.

He takes it and scans the screen for a few seconds, then hands my phone back to me. “We have a good PR team. It also happens to be the truth.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I said we’d take care of it. This is just the beginning. To prepare you, I expect the La Salles will try to counter. They won’t succeed. Once we announce the wedding, they’ll drop the custody case.”

I want to believe him. “You seem awfully sure.”

“That’s because I am.”

“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” I whisper.