Chapter 24 - The Schoolyard ThreatThe morning after the restaurant closure, the atmosphere in the Hamptons house was suffocating. Felix had spent the entire night on the phone with his legal team, trying to mitigate the public relations disaster facing Marlowe House, while Sarah sat at the kitchen island, staring blankly at her suspended culinary license.
"We keep Lily home today," Felix said, buttoning his suit jacket. His eyes were dark, filled with a dangerous, protective fury.
"No," Sarah replied firmly, standing up. "Lily has her science fair presentation. If we keep her home, we let them know we are terrified. We have to maintain absolute normalcy, Felix. For her sake."
Felix hesitated, looking toward the hallway where Lily was happily packing her backpack. "I am doubling her security detail. Vance is personally driving her."
Lily’s private school, Oakridge Academy, was a fortress for the children of billionaires, guarded by high stone walls and elite security personnel. Vance, a former Navy SEAL, escorted Lily directly to the front doors, scanning the perimeter with clinical precision. Everything seemed perfectly normal.
During the lunch recess, Lily sat under a large oak tree, sketching in her notebook.
"That's a beautiful drawing," a soft, melodious voice said.
Lily looked up. A woman with striking blonde hair, wearing oversized sunglasses and a chic trench coat, was standing on the other side of the wrought-iron fence.
"Thank you," Lily said politely, remembering her parents' rules about strangers. She began to pack up her colored pencils.
"You look just like your father, you know," the woman continued, leaning closer to the iron bars. "But you have your mother’s eyes. Tell me, is your mom very sad about her restaurant today?"
Lily frowned, taking a step back. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
"Oh, we aren't strangers, sweet girl," Celeste Arden smiled, her red lips curving into a terrifying smirk. She slipped a small, beautifully wrapped silver box through the bars, letting it drop onto the grass. "Give this to your daddy for me. Tell him an old friend is thinking about him."
Before Lily could call for a teacher, Celeste turned and melted into the crowd of parents and pedestrians on the sidewalk, vanishing completely.
When Vance retrieved the box and brought it back to Felix’s office, the bomb squad had to scan it. It wasn't an explosive.
Felix opened the silver box with gloved hands. Inside was a single, pristine chess piece—the black queen. Wrapped around its base was a printed note.
Check.
May you like
Felix crushed the note in his fist, his jaw clenching so hard his teeth ached. He hit the intercom button on his desk. "Vance. Bring me the files on Julian Sterling's family. If they want to threaten my daughter, we are going to burn their entire world to the ground."
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