Chapter 2 - THE MAN WHO OWNED EVERYTHING
Grant appeared at the top of the staircase in a black tuxedo.
He looked exactly like the photographs in financial magazines.
Controlled.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
Then he saw Lily.
Everything about him changed.
He crossed the hallway quickly and dropped to one knee in front of her.
“Lily?”
She stared at him.
His eyes moved to the burned section of her hair.
“What happened to her?”
Renata rushed forward.
“Grant, thank God.”
“The nanny attacked me.”
“She frightened Lily and nearly burned her with the styling iron.”
I could not believe how easily the lie left her mouth.
“She did it,” I said.
“Renata held the iron against Lily’s scalp.”
Grant turned toward me.
His face was unreadable.
“You are accusing my fiancée of deliberately burning my daughter?”
“Yes.”
The word came out without hesitation.
Renata gasped.
“She’s insane.”
“I told you we should never have hired someone with financial problems.”
Grant’s gaze sharpened.
“What financial problems?”
Renata lowered her voice as if she regretted revealing a secret.
“She is months behind on rent.”
“Her mother is sick.”
“She is desperate.”
“I think she planned to create an incident and then demand money.”
My humiliation quickly turned into anger.
“You searched my personnel file.”
Renata looked at Grant.
“I reviewed the background of the people living in your home.”
“That is called protecting your family.”
Grant stood.
For a moment, I thought he was going to order the police to release me.
Instead, he looked at the officers.
“Take her outside.”
“Grant,” I said.
“Ask Lily.”
His jaw tightened.
“My daughter does not speak.”
“She doesn’t need to.”
“Look at her.”
Grant looked down.
Lily stood near the wall with both hands wrapped around herself.
Renata moved closer to her.
Lily stepped away.
Grant noticed.
A flash of doubt crossed his face.
Then Renata touched the red mark on her arm.
“This woman assaulted me in our home.”
“If you allow her to walk away, she may come back.”
Grant’s expression closed again.
“Take her.”
The officers guided me toward the stairs.
The gala staff had already begun arriving.
Caterers stood frozen beside silver trays.
Florists stared from beneath an enormous arch of white roses.
By the time I reached the foyer, dozens of people had seen me in handcuffs.
Renata had chosen the perfect moment.
She had not merely fired me.
She had turned me into a public spectacle.
As the officers opened the front door, something small struck the back of my shoe.
I looked down.
A folded piece of paper lay on the floor.
Lily stood at the top of the staircase.
Her hand was still extended.
Renata turned to see what had fallen.
I stepped on the paper before she could notice it.
The officer pushed me forward.
Outside, rain had begun falling over the estate.
I bent slightly as I climbed into the patrol car.
My fingers closed around the paper beneath my shoe.
I waited until the door shut.
Then I unfolded it.
It was a drawing made with blue and red crayons.
A little girl sat on a stool.
A tall woman held something black against her head.
Smoke rose above them.
Another woman stood in the doorway.
May you like
Under the picture, Lily had written three uneven words.
RENATA HURTS ME.
