Chapter 2: The Escape into the Cold
Chapter 2: The Escape into the Cold
The murmurs of three hundred elite guests drifted up the sweeping mahogany staircase as Liam carried Lily down the back service elevator. He bypassed the grand ballroom entirely, refusing to give anyone the satisfaction of a public spectacle. All that mattered was the violently shivering child in his arms.
"Daddy," Lily whimpered, her tiny fingers digging into the lapels of his ruined tuxedo jacket. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up the dress. I just spilled a drop of water."
Liam’s heart broke into a million jagged pieces. He pressed a kiss to her icy forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for, sweetie. None of this is your fault. I am so, so sorry I didn't see it sooner."
They burst out of the service doors into the bitter December night. The valet scrambled to retrieve Liam's SUV, visibly shocked by the groom's sudden departure before the ceremony had even begun. Liam blasted the heat the second the engine roared to life, directing the vents entirely toward the passenger seat where Lily sat huddled in his jacket.
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His phone began to detonate in the cupholder. The screen lit up with a barrage of texts and calls. Vanessa. Vanessa’s mother. The wedding planner. His own best man. He ignored them all, keeping his eyes locked on the dark, winding road leading away from the sprawling country club.
As the car warmed up, Lily’s shivering slowly subsided, replaced by exhaustion. She fell asleep against the window. Liam gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He had almost handed over his daughter’s safety and happiness to a monster disguised in couture. The realization made him physically sick. He swore right then and there that Vanessa Sterling would never be allowed within a hundred miles of his child again.
