Chapter 2 - THE PREY AND THE PREDATOR
The distress in the foyer felt incredibly heavy. Nicholas did not hesitate; he dropped the leather portfolio he was carrying, the heavy case landing with a dull thud on the marble, and immediately crouched down to Lucy’s level.
He was a man who could intimidate a boardroom of ruthless executives without raising his voice, but the moment he reached out to the little girl, his touch was incredibly gentle. He placed his large, warm hands on her trembling shoulders, his thumb softly wiping away the hot tears that had tracked down her flushed, rosy cheeks.
“Why are you leaving, sweetheart?” Nicholas asked, his deep baritone rumbling with a quiet, reassuring warmth.
Lucy sniffled, her small lower lip quivering, her gaze darting nervously past Nicholas toward the base of the massive curved staircase. There, leaning lightly against the ornate balustrade with practiced, aristocratic poise, was Vivienne Hart.
Vivienne, Nicholas’s fiancée, looked like she had stepped directly out of a high-society gala. In her early thirties, she was exceptionally glamorous, wearing an expensive ivory evening gown that caught the rich afternoon sunlight. Her hair was styled to perfection, and her elegant neck was adorned with delicate diamonds. On the surface, her posture was entirely controlled, perhaps even a bit dismissive, but as Nicholas’s gaze shifted toward her, the slight tension in her jaw betrayed a mounting defensiveness.
Lucy reached up with a tiny, trembling hand, pointing a finger toward the staircase.
“The pretty lady told us to,” Lucy whispered, her voice tiny and choked.
May you like
Vivienne’s expression remained perfectly composed, but she silently shifted her weight, her manicured fingers tightening slightly on the railing as she watched the exchange.
Nicholas’s jaw tightened. He did not look up at his fiancée yet, his entire focus remaining on the small girl in front of him. In his world, innocence was sacred, and the thought of anyone—fiancée or otherwise—intimidating a child in his own home was an intolerable offense. He needed to understand the mechanics of this sudden eviction.
