Chapter 26 - The Lioness
"I have every right to be in a public park,"
Beatrice scoffed, trying to regain her arrogant composure.
"I am just here to look at the child I will be seeing every weekend once the judge rules in my favor."
I took a deliberate, predatory step forward.
"You will never, ever be alone in a room with my daughter,"
I promised her, my voice dropping to a freezing, lethal whisper.
"You are a pawn for a convicted child abuser. If you take one more step toward that playground, I will not call the police. I will physically remove you myself."
Beatrice stared into my eyes. She expected the timid, broken girl who used to bow to her family's demands.
May you like
Instead, she found a fierce, untouchable mother who had survived the fire and was completely unafraid to burn her to ashes.
Beatrice swallowed hard, entirely terrified of the sudden, violent shift in my demeanor. She took three rapid steps backward, turned on her heel, and practically sprinted back to her car.
