Chapter 5
The heavy front doors of the estate slammed shut with an echoing thud, cutting off the panicked shouting from the living room. The cold night air hit Bennett’s face instantly, a sharp contrast to the suffocating warmth he had just abandoned. He didn't look back at his grandfather’s mansion.
He walked briskly down the winding, snow-lined driveway, his grip gentle on Josephine’s small hand. The four-year-old was struggling to keep up, her flats slipping on the icy pavement.
"Daddy," Josephine whimpered softly, the cold air biting at her rosy cheeks. "Where are we going?"
Bennett immediately stopped walking. He cursed softly, completely dropping the terrifying aura he had projected inside. He knelt down in the middle of the driveway, unbuttoning his tailored vest and pulling off his crisp white shirt, leaving himself in a thin undershirt.
He wrapped the warm fabric of his shirt securely around Josephine’s shoulders, buttoning it quickly to shield her from the wind.
"We're going to the car, Jo," Bennett murmured softly, pulling her close and lifting her completely into his arms. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked so fast."
"Are they mad at us?" Josephine asked, her chin resting on his shoulder as he walked toward the iron gates. "Grandpa Robert was yelling."
"They are mad," Bennett confirmed, his voice tight. "But they are never going to yell at you again. I promise you that."
He reached his sleek, dark SUV. He quickly unlocked the doors, strapped Josephine securely into her car seat, and turned the heat on full blast. Only when he was certain she was warm did he slide into the driver's seat.
Bennett gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. The image of Silas mocking his daughter burned in his mind.
He pulled an encrypted smartphone from his pocket. The screen illuminated his handsome face in the dark cabin. He dialed a private number he hadn't used in over a year.
The line rang twice before a gravelly voice answered. "I didn't expect to hear from you tonight, Bennett."
"The time for waiting is over, Marcus," Bennett stated, his voice dropping into the icy, lethal register he used for business. "The entire family was in the living room tonight. They made their position entirely clear."
"They crossed the line?" Marcus asked.
"They targeted my daughter," Bennett said coldly.
A heavy, absolute silence fell over the encrypted connection. In the underworld Bennett secretly commanded, targeting a child was a death sentence.
"Give the order, Boss," Marcus said simply.
"Execute the financial protocols we discussed," Bennett commanded. "Liquidate Robert's shell companies. Freeze Clara's offshore accounts. And Marcus... drain the primary family trust. I want them to wake up tomorrow with absolutely nothing."
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"It will be done by sunrise," Marcus confirmed. "What about the physical assets?"
"Leave the house," Bennett said, a dark, merciless smile curling his lips. "Let them sit in it while it gets repossessed. Merry Christmas."
