Chapter 9
The heavy oak double doors were pulled wide open by the security team, letting the howling, freezing wind of the blizzard tear into the bright, warm foyer. The contrast was violent and immediate. The crisp, white snow swirled through the entrance, biting into the skin of everyone in the room.
Lily buried her face deeper into Richard’s warm dress shirt, whimpering at the sound of the wind.
"It's okay, little bird," Richard whispered softly to her, gently pressing her head against his chest. "You are never going back out there again."
With synchronized, ruthless efficiency, the security guards shoved Mark and Claudia forward. The couple stumbled over the threshold, their expensive, indoor shoes slipping immediately on the ice-covered stone steps of the porch. They crashed into the deep, freezing snowdrifts, the biting wind instantly tearing through Mark's sweater and Claudia's elegant dress.
"No! Please!" Claudia screamed, scrambling on her hands and knees in the snow, her fair, rosy skin instantly turning pale against the biting cold. She reached out toward the warmth of the brightly lit foyer. "Richard! Have mercy!"
"You showed no mercy to her," Richard stated, his handsome, aged face completely impassive as he looked down at them from the warmth of the doorway.
Mark was shivering violently, his arms wrapped around himself as the blizzard whipped his hair wildly. He looked up at his father, the realization of his absolute ruin finally settling into his cowardly heart. He had chosen to appease a cruel woman, and in doing so, he had lost his daughter, his wealth, and his father.
"Dad..." Mark chattered, his American accent trembling so hard he could barely form the word.
"Shut the doors," Richard ordered his men.
The security guards stepped back inside and grabbed the heavy brass handles. With a loud, definitive slam, the grand oak doors were pulled shut, and the heavy deadbolts were thrown into place. The howling wind was instantly muffled, leaving the bright, warm foyer in total silence.
Richard stood there for a moment, holding the petite, adorable child in his arms. The cinematic, natural light illuminated the two of them. The nightmare in this house was over.
"Are we going home, Grandpa?" Lily asked softly, her big, tear-filled eyes looking up at him from the collar of his tailored overcoat.
"Yes, my darling," Richard said, a genuine, warm smile finally breaking through his terrifying demeanor. He kissed the top of her head. "We are going to my house. You're going to have a hot bath, a big cup of hot chocolate, and you are going to sleep in a warm, safe bed."
"Okay," Lily whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head heavily against his shoulder, finally succumbing to the exhaustion of her ordeal.
Richard turned to his lead guard. "Secure the property. Make sure they don't break a window trying to get back in. If they do, arrest them for burglary."
May you like
"Yes, sir," the guard nodded.
Richard walked out through the interior garage door, carrying his granddaughter toward the idling, heated town car, leaving the bright, empty house behind.
