Chapter 3
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as Jaxson took two slow, deliberate steps toward her across the marble floor.
The small American flag resting quietly on the mahogany side table fluttered slightly in the draft, casting a patriotic shadow over the grim domestic confrontation.
"Look at me, Chloe," Jaxson instructed gently, his harsh, intimidating demeanor melting away into something startlingly protective.
Chloe slowly lifted her heavy eyelids, her tear-filled brown eyes meeting his dark, intense gaze with cautious uncertainty.
Her bruised arms trembled beneath the white cuffs of her maid uniform as she shrank away from his approaching hand.
Instead of touching her face, Jaxson’s calloused, tattooed fingers paused inches away, hovering over a small object resting against her collarbone.
It was a tarnished silver vintage locket necklace, shaped like a tiny teardrop and engraved with an intricate family crest.
The moment Jaxson’s eyes locked onto the locket, the air in the luxurious mansion hall seemed to turn instantly to ice.
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His breathing hitched, his facial micro-expressions shifting from cold anger into a paralyzing wave of shock and profound recognition.
"Where... where did you get this?" Jaxson whispered, his voice trembling for the first time since he walked through the heavy front doors.
