Chapter 3 - THE CHILD'S SECRET
Maria gently lifted the little girl into her arms, standing up slowly while keeping her body positioned between Catherine and the child.
"Take Lily upstairs to my private quarters, Maria," Julian ordered without taking his icy gaze off Catherine.
"Don't you dare move, Maria!" Catherine barked, stepping forward with her high heels clicking loudly against the marble.
"If you take one more step toward that child, Catherine, I will call the NYPD special victims unit right now," Julian warned.
He pulled a black smartphone from his inner jacket pocket, his dark eyes locked onto Catherine's angry face.
Catherine stopped in her tracks, her chest heaving as she realized Julian was not making a hollow threat.
Maria moved swiftly down the long corridor, her hand soothing Lily’s brown hair as the little girl wept silently.
"Is Uncle Julian going to get hurt?" Lily whispered, her innocent voice choked with terrified tears.
"No, sweetheart, your uncle is the strongest man in New York," Maria reassured her, pushing open the heavy wooden door to the servants' quarters.
Back in the main hallway, Julian took the metal cane directly from Catherine's hand, tossing it onto the glass-topped table.
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The metallic clatter echoed through the mansion like a warning bell.
***
