Chapter 10 - The Blade at the Throat
The air in the study went entirely dead. Nathanael froze mid-step, his hands raised palms forward in a universal gesture of surrender. The sight of the steel blade pressing against Lily’s soft skin sent a wave of absolute terror through his veins.
"Eleanor, stop," Nathanael pleaded, keeping his voice carefully modulated to avoid startling her. "Let her go. This is between you and me. Take the house, take the money, take everything—just let the child walk away."
Eleanor let out a sharp, breathless laugh, her eyes wild and bloodshot beneath the harsh overhead lighting of the study. Gone was the immaculate, composed bride of the cathedral; in her place stood a cornered predator with nothing left to lose.
"You think I care about money anymore, Nathanael?" Eleanor hissed, her grip tightening on the knife handle. "Your little stunt with the police destroyed my reputation, my social standing, and my freedom. I am ruined. And if I am going down, I am taking your entire world with me."
Lily let out a quiet, terrified sob, burying her face further into the plush fur of her teddy bear. "Uncle Nate... make her stop."
"I'm right here, sweetie. Look at me, Lily, just look at my eyes," Nathanael instructed softly, taking a slow, calculated step forward. "Don't look at her. Look at me."
"Don't you dare move another inch!" Eleanor shrieked, the blade nicking the surface of Lily's skin. A tiny bead of crimson welled up on the child's neck.
Nathanael stopped instantly, his heart dropping into his stomach. The sight of blood on Lily's neck made his vision blur with a white-hot rage, but he forced himself to stay anchored. He knew that any sudden movement would spell disaster.
"Okay, I'm stopped. I'm not moving," Nathanael said, his voice dangerously low. "Where is Marcus Vance, Eleanor? Is he the one pulling your strings, or were you working for him all along?"
Eleanor’s expression flickered for a fraction of a second at the mention of Marcus’s name, revealing a crack in her defiant facade. "Marcus doesn't matter. He thinks he's using me for revenge against your shipping empire, but he's just a pawn in my game. Once I get the offshore transfer codes from the vault, I was always planning to leave him behind too."
"You're working with him to frame me, but you're betraying him at the same time," Nathanael said, playing for time while praying that Agent Vance and the tactical team were breaking through the vault door downstairs. "You really think you can outrun the federal government, Eleanor?"
"I don't need to run. I just need a clean getaway plane, and you are going to arrange it," Eleanor demanded, shifting the knife slightly as she tried to back toward the French doors leading out to the patio.
As Eleanor stepped backward, her heel caught the edge of a heavy Persian rug near the mahogany desk. She stumbled for a fraction of a second, her weight shifting off balance.
It was the opening Nathanael had been waiting for.
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With an explosive burst of speed, Nathanael lunged forward across the room, diving past the desk just as Eleanor recovered her footing and raised the knife to strike.
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