Chapter 2
The chilling echo of Arthur’s heavy footsteps chasing after them faded as Julian pushed open the massive front doors of the estate, stepping out into the biting midnight air. The rain had turned into a steady, freezing drizzle that plastered his dark hair against his forehead and soaked through Clara’s thin dark top. Julian didn't care about the cold. His entire focus was fixed on the small, shivering body pressed against his chest. He clutched her tighter, shielding her face from the wind as he hurried down the stone steps toward his dented sedan parked at the edge of the gravel driveway.
"You're safe now, baby," Julian whispered, his voice cracking slightly as he unlocked the car door with one hand. "Daddy’s got you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again."
Clara sniffled, her small hands reaching up to touch the bruised skin around Julian’s left eye. "Does it hurt, Daddy?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of the car engine as Julian cranked the heater to its maximum setting.
"It doesn't hurt at all, sweetheart," Julian lied, swallowing the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He placed her carefully into the passenger seat, wrapping her in his own jacket before buckling her in. Every movement was precise, controlled, yet fueled by an undercurrent of desperate urgency. He knew Arthur and Eleanor would not let them leave so easily. The estate was isolated, surrounded by miles of dense pine forest, and every exit was monitored by private security cameras.
Julian climbed into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut and shifting the car into reverse. As the tires crunched loudly against the gravel, the headlights swept across the wrought-iron gates of the property. Standing right in the middle of the gateway, blocking their only way out, was Arthur’s head of security, a hulking figure in a black raincoat holding a heavy metal flashlight.
Julian’s foot hovered over the accelerator. He knew the man. He knew his family. But he also knew what Arthur was capable of when crossed.
"Hold on, Clara," Julian murmured, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.
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He pressed the gas pedal down, the engine roaring to life as the car surged forward directly toward the gates. The security guard planted his feet, raising his hand to signal a stop while reaching toward his hip for a radio. Julian didn't slow down. At the last possible second, the guard jumped aside, slamming his fist onto the hood of the car with a sickening thud as they blasted through the open gates and onto the dark highway.
Safe from the immediate grounds, Julian checked the rear-view mirror. The estate lights twinkled mockingly in the distance. But as he glanced into the back seat to check on Clara’s jacket, his blood ran cold. Tucked neatly into the side pocket of the passenger door was a manila envelope with his name written on it in Eleanor’s immaculate handwriting.
