Chapter 2 - The Severed Link
Julian did not answer. He grabbed the heavy brass fire stoker standing in the decorative hearth beside the pillar. With a roar born of primal fury, he wedged the pointed iron tip into the padlock mechanism securing the shackle.
"Julian, stop this insanity!" Victoria hissed, her composure cracking for a fraction of a second as she stepped back, guarding her silk gown.
With all his weight, Julian wrenched the brass arm downward. Metal shrieked against metal. The rusted tumbler inside the old padlock snapped with a deafening crack. Julian discarded the iron rod, wrenched the cuff open, and pulled Clara into his chest before the metal even hit the floor.
She weighed almost nothing. She buried her face into the hollow of his neck, her tiny arms wrapping around his collar so tightly he could barely draw breath. Her skin was burning hot against his cheek.
"Gregory!" Victoria called sharply toward the corridor.
Heavy footfalls echoed instantly against the marble. Gregory, the Sterling family's personal head of security—a broad-shouldered ex-operative with cold grey eyes—appeared in the archway, his hand resting unobtrusively inside his dark suit jacket.
"Mr. Vance," Gregory said, stepping into Julian’s path. "Miss Sterling prefers you return to the main hall."
Julian held Clara with his left arm, his right fist balling up, every muscle coiled. "Step aside, Gregory. Or whatever they're paying you won't cover reconstructive surgery."
Gregory did not blink. "You're trespassing on private property, sir. And child endangerment allegations carry severe consequences in this county. Give the child to the staff, and we can discuss your severance quietly."
"Child endangerment?" Julian let out a dark, ragged laugh. He pointed his chin at the severed iron chain lying beside the pillar. "Look at the floor, you coward. Look at what you did to a baby."
Gregory’s eyes flickered down to the iron cuff, then back to Julian. There was no remorse in his eyes, only professional indifference. "She was a flight risk. Now hand her over."
Julian didn't hesitate. He feinted left, catching Gregory off guard, and slammed his shoulder directly into the larger man’s chest. The impact threw Gregory against the gilded mahogany side table, sending an antique silver vase crashing to the tiles.
Julian bolted down the service hallway, Clara clinging to him like a burr. Behind them, the massive double doors to the ballroom burst open, and a wave of gasps and murmurs from three hundred distinguished guests rolled across the corridor.
Julian shoved open the heavy emergency exit into the torrential rain of the courtyard. The cold rain lashed his face, soaking Clara’s lace dress in seconds. He sprinted toward his black SUV parked near the service gate, unlocking it with his remote.
May you like
He threw open the rear door, strapped Clara into her safety seat, and leaped behind the wheel. The engine roared to life. Through the rear-view mirror, Julian saw Victoria standing under the covered portico, holding her rain-soaked hem, her face unreadable as she raised a black smartphone to her ear.
Before Julian could shift into drive, the estate’s heavy iron perimeter gates began to slowly, mechanically swing shut.
