Chapter 6 - Shattered Illusions
Julian clawed at my wrists, gasping for air as his heels scraped against the marble floor. "In... in my coat pocket! Inside pocket!"
I shoved him down onto the floor, where he collapsed into a heap of expensive fabric and shattered glass. I reached into his blazer, ripped the heavy brass key from his pocket, and turned toward the cage.
Victoria blocked my path, her face twisted with desperate anger. "If you unlock that cage, Ethan, you destroy the Caldwell Meridian merger! The board will know about the embezzled funds Grace uncovered! We will all go to prison—including you! Think about the family name!"
"You aren't family," I said, staring directly into the cold eyes of the woman who raised me. "You're a parasite."
I pushed past her, shoved the key into the heavy padlock on the cage door, and twisted it with all my strength.
The lock sprang open. The iron door swung wide.
I dropped to my knees on the cold marble and gathered Grace into my arms. She collapsed against my chest, wrapping her arms around my neck and sobbing uncontrollably, her tears soaking through my shirt.
"I have you," I whispered, burying my face in her tangled hair as my own tears finally broke free. "I'm so sorry, Grace. I'm right here. Nobody is ever going to touch you again."
"The baby, Ethan... he hasn't stopped kicking... he was so scared," she wept, her small hands clutching at my coat.
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Behind us, Julian dragged himself to his feet, grabbing a heavy brass candlestick from a side console. His eyes were wild with desperation. "You aren't leaving this room with her, Ethan! You think I spent five years working under your shadow just to let you hand everything to this street girl?!"
He lunged forward, raising the heavy brass weapon to strike.
