Chapter 2: The Line Drawn
Julian didn’t scream. The time for shouting had passed the moment he saw his daughter lying breathless on the stone floor. He stood up slowly, lifting Lily into his arms. She felt terrifyingly light, her small hands still clutching the white bunny, her breaths coming in shallow, ragged rasps against his collarbone.
He walked out of the heavy iron door, past the shivering form of Clara, and stepped back into the pristine kitchen. Victoria finally set her wine glass on the marble island. She smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her silk trousers.
"Julian, darling, you're overreacting," Victoria said, her voice smooth and devoid of empathy. "The child was having a tantrum. She broke a crystal vase in the foyer. I simply put her in the old cellar for a time-out. She needs discipline."
Julian stared at the woman he had married two years ago. He had known Victoria was cold, driven by status and appearances, but he had believed she would at least be a passive, decent stepmother while he traveled for work. He had been a fool.
"A time-out," Julian repeated, his voice barely a whisper, yet it cut through the room like a razor. "She was having an asthma attack, Victoria. You locked an asthmatic child in a damp, dust-filled stone room. And when Clara tried to help her, you beat her."
"The maid forgot her place," Victoria snapped, a flash of genuine irritation finally breaking her composed facade. "She lunged at me like a wild animal."
"She was trying to save my daughter's life." Julian didn't look at his wife anymore. He turned his head toward the hallway. "Marcus!" he shouted.
Seconds later, Julian’s head of security, a broad-shouldered man in a dark suit, rounded the corner. He took one look at Julian, the gasping child, the battered maid, and the smirking wife.
"Sir?" Marcus asked, his posture instantly stiffening.
"Call the police," Julian ordered, his tone glacial. "I want Victoria removed from this property. Press charges for child endangerment, unlawful imprisonment, and aggravated assault."
Victoria’s confident sneer vanished, replaced by a look of sheer outrage. "Julian, you can't be serious. The press—"
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"If you are still on my property in ten minutes, I will drag you out by the collar of that silk blouse myself," Julian interrupted. He turned to the security guard. "Marcus, see to it. If she tries to take anything other than her coat, arrest her for theft."
Without waiting for her response, Julian turned on his heel. "Clara," he said softly, looking at the young woman who was struggling to stand, pressing a kitchen towel to her bleeding nose. "Come with us. We are going to the hospital."
