Chapter 1 - The Weight of Glass
The silence in the mansion was heavier than the blow that had shattered it. Elena lay sprawled on the cold Italian marble, her cheek already blooming with an angry crimson welt. The heavy steel staple gun rested just inches from her trembling fingers, its metallic surface catching the morning sun like a wicked instrument. Julian stood over her, his breathing measured, terrifying in its stillness.
He didn’t look at Elena. He looked at Lily. The six-year-old was burrowed entirely against his neck, her tiny fingers digging into the tailored fabric of his navy wool coat. She wasn't crying anymore. The shock had rendered her mute, her small body shivering like a bird pulled from freezing water.
""Look at me, Elena,"" Julian whispered. The pitch of his voice was terrifyingly low, stripped bare of any human warmth.
Elena tilted her face upward, pushing her long dark hair out of her eyes. Her tailored burgundy blouse was wrinkled, the facade of domestic perfection cracking wide open. ""You’re making a mistake, Julian. She tripped over the terrace threshold. I was only—""
""You were holding that metal monstrosity against her skin,"" he cut her off, stepping forward until the polished tip of his Oxford shoe gently kicked the tool away. It slid across the floor, scraping loudly against the pristine stone. ""And do not speak of mistakes. Not after the name I found in our offshore accounts yesterday.""
Elena’s eyes widened imperceptibly. A flicker of naked panic danced across her pupils before she smoothed it over with a practiced sneer. ""You’ve been digging where you don’t belong.""
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""I ask you one more time,"" Julian said, his hand cradling the back of Lily’s head, shielding her eyes from the woman on the floor. ""Who is Michael Hall? Why is my late wife’s maiden estate routing seventy thousand dollars a month into a dead man's trust?""
Elena slowly pushed herself up to a seated position, leaning back against the marble kitchen island. A bloodied smirk twisted the corner of her swollen lips. ""If you think he's dead, Julian... you haven't been looking at the nursery monitors late at night.""
