Chapter 2 - The weight of a ring
Nicholas stared down at the small, frightened girl clinging to his leg. He slowly lowered his tall, muscular frame, kneeling on the hard marble until he was eye-level with Lucy. He reached out with a large, steady hand and gently pushed a stray blonde curl behind her ear. That was when he saw it. Against the fair, rosy skin of her upper arm, faint red marks were beginning to form. They were not severe, but they were the unmistakable shape of fingers.
His intense gray eyes shifted from the marks on the child’s arm to his fiancée. The calmness in his expression vanished, replaced by a cold, terrifying stillness.
Marco, the security chief, stepped out from the hallway shadows. His tall athletic build moved with disciplined precision in his fitted black suit. Seeing Nicholas’s gaze, Marco approached without a word, pulled a sleek phone from his pocket, and silently photographed the faint marks on Lucy’s arm for the security record.
Vivienne’s fair skin turned completely pale. She forced a tight, dismissive laugh, smoothing the front of her deep-red gown. "Nicholas, darling, you are completely misunderstanding the situation. The child was misbehaving. She was stealing a cookie from the kitchen, and I was simply guiding her out to her mother to be disciplined."
Nicholas did not answer her. He slowly stood up to his full height, his broad shoulders easily dominating the space. He walked toward Vivienne with slow, deliberate steps. She held her breath, her eyes wide as he reached out and took her left hand. With a smooth, unflinching motion, he slid the expensive diamond engagement ring off her finger.
"Nicholas?" she gasped, her voice cracking. "What are you doing? I am your fiancée!"
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He dropped the heavy diamond into Marco’s waiting hand and turned his back on her, kneeling once again to pick up Lucy. As he lifted the child into his arms, Vivienne’s polished exterior finally broke, and she shouted a warning that sent a chill through the room.
"If you don't get them out of this house before midnight, Nicholas, you are going to lose absolutely everything."
