Chapter 2 - The Bride’s Panic and the Mask of Innocence
The silence that followed the slamming of the heavy double doors was heavy enough to crush bone.
Julian slowly rose from his crouched position, keeping his body positioned between the trembling child on the floor and the wild-eyed woman standing in the doorway.
Victoria Vance—soon to be Victoria Sterling—clutched the cascading silk of her designer wedding gown with white-knuckled desperation.
Her chest rose and fell in violent, ragged breaths, her usually immaculate makeup slightly smudged around her frantic green eyes.
For a fleeting second, Julian caught a glimpse of absolute terror in her gaze—not the happy nerves of a blushing bride, but the hunted panic of a criminal cornered in an alleyway.
"Julian," Victoria breathed out, her voice pitching slightly higher than normal as she forced a tight, artificial smile onto her lips.
"What on earth are you doing out here? The guests are all seated, and the minister is waiting at the altar."
Julian didn't move an inch. He kept his large hands protectively positioned near Lily, who had pressed her face back into her knees, sobbing silently.
"I heard someone crying, Victoria," Julian replied, his tone chillingly level, devoid of any warm pre-wedding affection.
"I find our six-year-old flower girl huddled in the dark hallway, shaking like a leaf, terrified to go outside. Care to explain why she’s hiding from the world on our wedding day?"
Victoria’s eyes flicked down to the little girl, a micro-expression of pure venom crossing her features before she smoothed her expression back into one of concerned maternal affection.
"Oh, sweet little Lily," Victoria cooed, taking two cautious steps forward, her voice dripping with sickly sweet condescension.
"She’s just suffering from terrible stage fright. Kids her age get so overwhelmed by large crowds and formal events. Don't you, darling?"
Lily didn't answer. She only curled tighter into herself, shrinking away from Victoria’s approaching footsteps as if a poisonous snake were slithering toward her.
Julian noticed the unnatural fear radiating from the child. A normal child experiencing stage fright seeks comfort from her mother, not terror.
"She isn't just suffering from stage fright, Victoria," Julian said, his dark eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on his bride.
"She was terrified of breaking a secret. A secret her mother told her never to tell me."
Victoria’s forced smile completely vanished. The color drained rapidly from her face, leaving her looking ghostly pale against the ivory silk of her wedding dress.
"She’s a imaginative little girl who watches too many cartoons, Julian," Victoria snapped defensively, her voice losing its melodic cadence and turning sharp.
"Now, step away from her. We have a wedding to attend, and you are making everyone wait."
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Julian slowly stood up to his full height, towering over Victoria by a full head, his broad shoulders tensed with suspicion.
"The wedding can wait," Julian stated coldly. "Right now, I want to know why a child living in my mansion is being treated like a state secret."
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