Chapter 11
Lily slipped out from the rear exit of the greenhouse, darting quietly behind a row of snow-dusted boxwood hedges that bordered the side lawn. The freezing winter air bit sharply into her bare skin, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins kept the cold at bay. She aimed for the safety of the main driveway where the police cruiser idled, its red and blue lights painting the falling snow in alternating flashes. As she rounded the corner of the brick potting shed, however, a tall, imposing figure stepped out from the shadows of the overhang, blocking her path entirely.
It was Marcus. His coat collar was turned up against the wind, and his expression was cold, calculating, and entirely devoid of the mild hesitation he had shown earlier in the study. His eyes immediately dropped to the heavy leather ledger clutched tightly in Lily’s small, soot-stained hands.
“Well, well,” Marcus said softly, his voice dangerously calm as he took a slow step forward. “I wondered where the draft in the chimney flue was leading. You’re a remarkably resilient girl, Lily, just like your father. But running away won’t change the outcome of tonight.”
Lily backed away a step, her breathing turning shallow as she gripped the book harder against her chest. “Stay away from me,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly but carrying a defiant edge that surprised even herself. “I know what you and Mommy did. I have the book. The police are right over there.”
May you like
Marcus chuckled darkly, taking another unhurried stride toward her across the frozen grass. “The police are currently occupied listening to your mother explain how distraught she is over a tragic, accidental fire. By the time anyone checks the lower service shafts, this ledger will have conveniently vanished in the ongoing cleanup, and you—well, a frightened, smoke-addled child wandering out into the freezing winter night after a trauma is prone to all sorts of unfortunate accidents, aren't they?”
Before Marcus could lunge forward to grab the ledger, Lily dropped low, swung her foot out with surprising force, and kicked his shins before spinning around and sprinting toward the open driveway. Marcus cursed loudly, lunging after her with long strides, his heavy boots crunching aggressively against the frozen gravel as the distance between them closed rapidly under the flashing lights of the police cruiser.
