Chapter 2
Julian did not wait another second. He spun on his heel, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the polished wooden floors of the hallway as he charged toward the grand staircase. The crystal chandeliers blurred into streaks of gold and light as he took the steps two at a time, his heart hammering against his ribs like a caged animal. Behind him, he heard Clara’s frantic footsteps and the rustle of her satin gown as she tried to give chase.
“Julian, stop! You cannot go up there like this!” Clara cried out, her voice echoing up the stairwell. “You will destroy everything we spent three years building!”
Julian didn’t slow down. He reached the upper landing and turned sharply down the long, dimly lit corridor that led to the private east wing. This was the forbidden zone of the mansion, a wing he had deliberately avoided for years at Clara’s insistence, believing it was merely a gallery for visiting artists. Every instinct he possessed screamed that he had been manipulated, kept at arm’s length from his own flesh and blood by the woman he had trusted above all others.
He reached the heavy mahogany double doors at the end of the hall. Without knocking, he gripped the brass handle and shoved them open.
The room was vast, bathed in the soft, natural light pouring through a massive skylight. Canvases were stacked neatly against the walls, and the scent of oil paint and turpentine hung heavy in the air. Standing near the center of the room, holding a charcoal stick before a towering easel, was a young girl with familiar blonde hair tied back in a messy ribbon. She wore a simple smock dusted with pastel chalks, completely absorbed in her work.
Julian froze in the doorway, his lungs refusing to draw air. The girl sensed a presence and slowly turned around, brushing a smudge of charcoal from her cheek. Her eyes, the exact shade of his own, widened in pure astonishment as she looked at the uninvited stranger standing in her sanctuary.
“Who are you?” the girl whispered, lowering her sketching hand. “How did you get in here?”
Julian took a trembling step into the studio, tears finally blurring his vision as he stared at the face he had somehow missed for a thousand mornings.
“I’m looking for my daughter,” Julian choked out, his voice cracking as he reached out a trembling hand.
May you like
Before the girl could process his words, Clara burst through the doorway behind him, breathless and pale, shouting a warning that arrived a heartbeat too late.
“Maya, run!” Clara screamed, lunging forward to pull the girl away.
