Chapter 13
The next morning, the sprawling Reed estate was a gilded cage. The bright, vivid colors of the pristine lawn and immaculate white walls now felt like a mocking reminder of their former freedom. Four imposing, heavily armed men in dark suits stood at the perimeter gates.
Inside the grand living room, the tension was unbearable. The shattered glass and spilled beer remained untouched on the floor; the maids had not arrived, their access revoked by Daniel's security team.
Robert paced frantically, his fair skin pale and sweaty. "The phones are dead. The Wi-Fi is cut. We are completely isolated."
Rebecca sat on the sofa, biting her manicured nails. "Dad, they won't even let the grocery delivery in. We are hostages in our own home! We have to call the police!"
"With what, Rebecca?!" Robert shouted, his booming voice cracking. "They took our cell phones! And if we try to force our way out, those men at the gate will break our legs. Daniel isn't playing a game. He is executing us."
Linda sat quietly in the mahogany armchair, staring blankly at the wall. The red mark on her cheek had faded into a dull purple bruise. She was completely broken, her obsessive need for social perfection entirely shattered.
"He's going to take the company," Robert muttered, dropping onto the sofa next to Rebecca, running a trembling hand through his hair. "The board meeting is today. If Daniel presents the offshore ledgers, the board will vote me out unanimously."
"Then we fight back!" Rebecca shrieked, her aristocratic arrogance flaring desperately. "We tell them Daniel is unstable! We tell them he assaulted Mom!"
May you like
"And what happens when Daniel tells them why he assaulted your mother, Rebecca?" Robert snarled, turning on his daughter with vicious contempt. "What happens when he tells the board that I held a four-year-old child down so you could slap her across the face?"
Rebecca recoiled, the ugly, horrifying truth finally silencing her.
