Chapter 2 - The Man Daniel Was Terrified Of
Nobody answered.
Charles Whitmore didn't repeat himself.
He didn't need to.
The silence itself was an answer.
His eyes settled on Celeste.
She immediately straightened.
“Mr. Whitmore, this is a misunderstanding.”
Charles looked at her.
“Did you strike my granddaughter?”
Celeste opened her mouth.
Daniel stepped forward.
“She slipped.”
Nora's head snapped toward him.
“What?”
Daniel didn't look at her.
“Lucy was holding the glass. Celeste accidentally bumped into her. The child fell.”
Charles stared at him.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Then Charles looked at the tiny tooth on the floor.
He bent down.
One of his guards immediately picked it up and placed it inside a clean handkerchief.
Charles examined it.
Then he looked at Lucy.
“Sweetheart.”
Lucy peeked over Nora's shoulder.
Charles softened.
“Did you fall?”
Lucy shook her head.
“Did Celeste hit you?”
Lucy looked toward Celeste.
Her small body began trembling.
Nora held her tighter.
“It's okay,” Nora whispered.
“You can tell the truth.”
Lucy looked at Charles.
Then she whispered the words that destroyed Daniel's lie.
“She hit me.”
A murmur spread through the ballroom.
Charles closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, there was no warmth left in them.
“Thank you for telling me.”
He stood.
Then he looked at Daniel.
“And you?”
Daniel swallowed.
“What?”
“My granddaughter says this woman hit her.”
“She was upset.”
“And my daughter?”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“She attacked Celeste.”
Charles turned toward Nora.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“She pushed me,” Celeste insisted.
Nora laughed once.
It was a broken, exhausted sound.
“You slapped my five-year-old and my husband threw me to the floor for defending her.”
Charles looked at the bruise forming on Nora's wrist.
Then at the mark on her shoulder.
His expression hardened.
“Daniel Hale.”
Daniel visibly flinched at the use of his full name.
“Yes?”
“Come here.”
Daniel didn't move.
Charles smiled faintly.
That frightened him even more.
“Come here.”
Daniel slowly approached.
Charles stood only inches away.
“You married my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You have a child with my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“And tonight, you watched another woman strike that child.”
Daniel remained silent.
“Then you assaulted my daughter.”
Daniel's lips tightened.
“I was protecting my wife.”
Charles looked at Celeste.
“Is that what she is?”
Celeste froze.
Daniel didn't answer.
Charles nodded slowly.
“I see.”
He turned to one of his guards.
“Call Dr. Whitmore.”
“Sir.”
“And call my attorney.”
Daniel suddenly stepped forward.
“Mr. Whitmore, you're overreacting.”
Charles looked at him.
“No.”
His voice was almost gentle.
“You have spent six years believing I was unaware of what happened inside my daughter's marriage.”
Daniel's face changed.
Nora looked at her father.
“Dad?”
Charles turned toward her.
“I know.”
The words struck harder than anything else that evening.
Nora stared.
“What do you mean?”
“I know about the bank accounts.”
Daniel went pale.
“I know about the apartment you purchased for Celeste.”
Celeste's face drained.
“I know about the company shares you transferred.”
Daniel stepped backward.
Charles continued.
“And I know about the night you told my daughter that if she ever left you, she would leave with nothing.”
Nora's lips parted.
“Dad…”
Charles looked at her.
“I should have intervened sooner.”
For the first time, his voice broke.
“I thought you needed to make your own decisions.”
Nora looked down at Lucy.
“I did.”
She kissed her daughter's hair.
“But I don't think I can make the right decision if I'm scared.”
Charles nodded.
“Then you won't be scared anymore.”
A doctor arrived moments later.
Lucy was taken for examination.
Nora refused to let go of her hand.
Charles stayed beside them.
Daniel watched.
His entire world was changing in front of him.
Then one of Charles's guards approached.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We checked the security footage.”
Charles looked up.
“And?”
The guard glanced at Daniel.
“There is more.”
Charles's expression darkened.
“Show me.”
A tablet was brought forward.
The recording showed Celeste approaching Lucy.
There was plenty of space around the child.
Celeste looked directly at her.
Then deliberately changed direction.
The impact wasn't accidental.
She had aimed for Lucy.
The ballroom watched the footage in silence.
Then came the slap.
Clear.
Deliberate.
Unmistakable.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Celeste began crying.
“I was angry.”
Charles turned toward her.
“You weren't angry.”
She stopped.
“You were cruel.”
Then Charles looked at Daniel.
“And you lied.”
Daniel's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Charles handed the tablet back.
“Tonight, your marriage ends.”
Nora stared at him.
“Dad…”
“No.”
Charles shook his head.
“This decision belongs to you.”
Then he looked at Daniel.
“But the consequences belong to him.”
Daniel's phone suddenly rang.
He checked the screen.
His chief financial officer.
He answered.
“What?”
The man's voice was frantic.
“Mr. Hale, you need to come to the office.”
“Why?”
“The board just called an emergency meeting.”
Daniel frowned.
“About what?”
A pause.
“They're asking why Charles Whitmore has frozen your company accounts.”
Daniel looked up.
Charles was already walking away.
His final words floated through the ballroom.
“Take my daughter and granddaughter home.”
Then he stopped.
“And make sure they never have to come back here.”
Daniel watched him leave.
For the first time, he understood something terrifying.
May you like
Charles hadn't come to rescue Nora.
He had come to reclaim her.
