Chapter 3 - The Silk Viper
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Richard did not scream. He did not lunge across the kitchen and wrap his hands around Eleanor’s throat, though every primal instinct in his body demanded that he do exactly that.
Instead, he smoothed his expression into a mask of confused, weary concern. He stood up slowly, lifting Sophie into his arms and resting her head against his shoulder. He shielded her face from the woman in the doorway.
"I don't know, Eleanor," Richard said, keeping his voice perfectly level. "I just walked in and found her like this. Where is the nanny?"
Eleanor rushed forward, her high heels clicking urgently. She reached out as if to touch Sophie's back, but Richard subtly shifted his stance, stepping just out of her reach.
"I am so furious, Richard," Eleanor lied smoothly, her blue eyes wide with fake indignation. "Maria called me this morning and said she was quitting. Just out of nowhere! She said the commute was too much. I've been on the phone with the agency all day trying to find a replacement. I told the chef to make sure Sophie ate lunch, but he must have forgotten!"
It was a brilliant, flawless lie delivered with total conviction. If Richard hadn't felt his daughter flinch, if he hadn't heard that terrified whisper against his neck, he would have believed her completely.
"The chef forgot to feed my daughter?" Richard asked softly.
"You know how busy the kitchen staff gets prepping for the gala this weekend," Eleanor sighed, rubbing her temples as if she were the victim of a massive inconvenience. "I’ll fire him tomorrow. I am so incredibly sorry, darling. I thought she was in her playroom watching movies."
"It's fine, Eleanor," Richard murmured. He bounced Sophie gently, feeling her small hands grip his shirt collar like a lifeline. "I'll take her upstairs and run her a warm bath. Have someone bring a tray of warm soup and bread to my suite."
Eleanor smiled, a soft, affectionate expression that made Richard’s blood run entirely cold.
"Of course, my love. I'll have them bring it up right away. Poor little thing."
She turned and walked gracefully out of the kitchen, her silk blouse shimmering in the light.
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Richard watched her go. The billionaire businessman who negotiated corporate mergers was dead. The man carrying the little girl up the grand staircase was the same man who had built his fortune in the dark, unforgiving shadows of the city.
He was going to tear Eleanor’s entire world apart, but he was going to do it so quietly she wouldn't even realize she was bleeding until it was too late.
