Chapter 2
Little Lily whimpered softly from her wooden step stool, wrapping her small arms around her lavender t-shirt in quiet distress.
Ethan immediately shifted his gaze away from his wife, his expression melting into infinite tenderness as he knelt beside the stool.
"You're safe now, sweetheart," Ethan murmured gently, lifting Lily up into his arms and resting her head against his shoulder.
"Daddy is right here, and nobody will ever lay a hand on you again."
Lily buried her face in the fabric of Ethan's navy blue suit jacket, letting out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.
Ethan carried his daughter out of the kitchen toward the living room, leaving Victoria frozen in absolute terror against the fridge.
He placed Lily gently on the sofa, kneeling in front of her to check her bruised arm with practiced care.
"Does it still hurt right here, Lily?" Ethan asked softly, his thumb gently tracing the edge of the fading purple mark.
May you like
"Only a little bit when she squeezes too hard," Lily whispered back, her big blonde eyelashes wet with unshed tears.
"You never have to hide it from me again, princess," Ethan promised, kissing the top of her head with fierce devotion.
