Chapter 7 - The Morning Light
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The sun rose over Chicago, casting a harsh, pale winter light through the blinds of the townhouse. Mauricio had not slept a single minute. He had spent the entire night sitting in the dark of his study, staring at the investigator's file until the words blurred into meaningless shapes on the page.
He heard the soft, hesitant padding of footsteps on the staircase.
Mauricio immediately closed the manila folder and shoved it into the bottom drawer of his desk, turning the heavy brass key to lock it. He stood up, smoothing his wrinkled shirt, and walked out into the hallway.
Renata was standing at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her gray stuffed lamb to her chest. She was wearing her oversized, pink flannel pajamas. She looked incredibly small, and incredibly anxious.
"Good morning, my sweet girl," Mauricio said, forcing a warm, gentle smile onto his exhausted face. He knelt down to her eye level.
"Are we going back to Grandma's house today?" Renata asked, her voice trembling slightly. Her eyes darted toward the front door, as if terrified her grandparents might burst through the wood at any second.
Mauricio reached out and gently pulled her into a tight, fierce hug. He buried his face in her soft hair, breathing in the scent of her baby shampoo.
"No," Mauricio promised, his voice vibrating with absolute, unbreakable certainty. "We are never going back to that house again. You never have to see them again, Renata. I promise you."
She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. "But Grandpa said Sunday dinner is mandatory."
"Grandpa doesn't make the rules for our family," Mauricio said smoothly, tapping her gently on the nose to elicit a small smile. "I do. And my rule is that today, we are going to make a massive pile of chocolate chip pancakes, and then we are going to build a fort in the living room."
Renata's eyes widened, a spark of genuine excitement finally pushing through the anxiety. "With the heavy couch cushions?"
"With all the couch cushions," Mauricio confirmed, standing up and taking her small hand in his.
They walked into the kitchen together. As Mauricio began pulling ingredients from the refrigerator, the oppressive weight of the night began to lift just a fraction. He was going to protect her. He was going to burn his father's empire to the ground if he had to, but he would keep this little girl safe.
He was cracking eggs into a bowl when his cell phone, resting on the granite counter, began to vibrate violently.
The caller ID flashed across the bright screen.
Arthur Jacobs.
Mauricio stared at the phone, the cheerful atmosphere in the kitchen suddenly turning freezing cold. He looked at Renata, who was happily stirring a bowl of flour on her step stool.
May you like
He picked up the phone, swiped to answer, and pressed the speaker firmly against his ear.
"What do you want, Arthur?" Mauricio answered, skipping any pretense of a greeting.
