[✓] 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐿𝑈𝐷𝐸 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 as they fixated on the small television that had been set on the bar counter.

The family watched as the black-and-white tape played; Grace simply stood by the bed as Reginald gave great gasps and clutched at his heart. And while the small seizure made its final attack on Reginald, Grace decided to turn and head towards the open door.

As the tape continued to show Reginald as he suffered, Vanya shook her head and turned to the others. "I mean, do you really think Mom would hurt Dad?"

"You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya," Luther said as he stared at the TV screen. "Maybe you don't know Grace anymore."

"If he was poisoned," Diego interjected, causing everyone's eyes to turn towards him as he raised his eyebrows, "it would have shown in the coroner's report."

"Well," Luther scoffed with squinted eyes, "I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes."

"Maybe all that low gravity in space messed with your vision," Diego quipped before stepping towards the television and replaying the tape. "Look closer. Dad has his monocle. Mom stands up. Monocle's gone."

"Oh, yeah!" Klaus giggled in agreement as he pulled out a plantain chip and popped it into his mouth.

"She wasn't poisoning him," Diego elaborated as he unsheathed one of his knives and walked back towards the couch. "She was . . . taking it. To clean it," he added as he turned to face them once again, leaning back against the thin table.

Everyone turned in his direction as Luther rebutted, "Then where is it? No, I've searched the house, including her things. She doesn't have it."

Diego's eyes lowered to the ground, his mouth opening and closing for a few seconds before he admitted, "That's because I took it from her. After the funeral."

Everyone's attention suddenly turned to Diego with alarm.

"You've had the monocle this whole time?" Allison asked incredulously, her eyebrows furrowing. "What the hell, Diego?"

Luther stuck his hand out toward Diego, and his glare couldn't be more lethal. "Give it to me."

Diego shook his head, his gaze slowly lifting to meet Luther's. "I threw it away."

Luther's jaw dropped. "You what?"

Allison scoffed, a smile of absolute disbelief on her face as she lifted her glass of whiskey to her lips.

"Look" —Diego straightened up as he jabbed the knife in Luther's direction—"I knew that if you found it on Mom, you'd lose your shit, just like you're doing right now."

"Diego," Luther growled, "you son of a bitch."

Diego immediately braced himself for a fight while Luther stepped toward him, their eyes glued to each other's every movement.

"Hey. No. Calm down." Vanya placed a hand on Luther's arm, stopping him from going any further. "Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book. But I do remember one thing he had said to me. Mom was, well, designed to be a caretaker, but . . . also as a protector."

Valerie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she asked, "What does that mean?"

Vanya sighed. "She was programmed to intervene if someone's life was in jeopardy."

"Well, if her hardware is degrading, then . . ." Luther licked his lips as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other before firmly stating, "We need to turn her off."