Chapter 52
At the classroom doorway, a dozen security guards surrounded Luke Holloway Harrison stood below the steps, radiating an imposing aura. The way he looked at Luke was as if a god gazed down at an insect at his feet.
“Daph, come here. You’re coming home with your father!” Harrison’s voice was sharp and commanding. When Daph hesitated, taking a step toward Luke, his patience snapped.
Daph shook her head at him. “I want to go home with my uncle.”
Harrison let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “And where exactly could he take you? Does he even have a home? Daph, if you go with him, you’ll be sleeping on the streets!”
“Daph!” Selene’s voice called out above the tension.
Daph spotted her mother and waved excitedly. But with Harrison’s security detail blocking them in, she couldn’t get to Selene’s side.
“Mama!” she called.
Selene’s heart twisted with guilt and worry. “I got held up, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. I promise, I’ll never leave you waiting at preschool again.”
“It’s okay, Mom. I know you had something really important to do–something that could change your life! I won’t hold you back.” Daph’s gentle understanding only made Selene’s heart ache more.
But Harrison heard it differently. What could possibly, be more important than picking up your own daughter? What was Selene up to that she needed to get rid of Daph? “Change her life“? His gaze narrowed, focusing over Selene’s shoulder.
Adrian? What on earth was he doing here?
A storm of anger gathered in Harrison’s eyes. After Selene left with Adrian, the two of them didn’t show up at the preschool until this late hour?
“Selene, we haven’t signed the divorce papers yet!” Harrison’s fury built in his chest. “You really can’t wait, can you?”
“I can’t wait for you to get out of my life, Harrison!” Selene shot back, her voice trembling with anger. “We’re divorced. Can’t you act like you’re dead and just stay out of my way?”
This man had nearly cost her a shot at the math competition!
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“So you’ve already found someone new, haven’t you?” Harrison sneered,
“Of course I have. And if you have even a shred of decency left, you’ll stop making things harder for your daughter.” Did he really think that tossing her and Daph out of the Azure Vista condos would leave them homeless? There were plenty of hotels in the city before they could move into their new place.
Harrison’s eyes went ice–cold as he saw Selene standing side by side with Adrian. Just the sight of them together made his blood boil.
“Get her!” he barked. “Bring my daughter back!”
The security guards lunged forward as one.
“Don’t touch Daph!” Selene called out desperately, realizing that if Luke Holloway tried to fight the guards to protect Daph, Harrison would have him thrown in jail.
“Let Daph handle it!” Selene shouted. “She can take care of herself!”
Daph, round and sturdy like a little tank, charged at the towering guards. She barreled into one who wasn’t steady on his feet, knocking him flat on the ground. The guards, clearly uneasy about hurting a child, held back.
“What are they doing?” Dames asked, watching the guards struggle with Daph.
Felicity, standing behind him, whispered excitedly, “Dames, if you managed to take Daph down, your dad would be so proud of you!”
Dames’s eyes lit up, but then he shrank back. “She’s too strong! I can’t handle her!”
“But you’ve got your crossbow now! You’re unstoppable–a real sharpshooter!” Felicity’s heart pounded with anticipation.
Dames raised his mechanical crossbow, squeezing one eye shut. He’d never been able to stand up to Daph before. But this time was different.
“Daph! Watch out!” he shouted triumphantly, pressing the trigger.
A metal bolt shot across the room.
Selene’s attention was glued to Daph–until a chill ran down her spine. She spun around and saw Dames holding the crossbow. Her face went ashen. She whipped back just in time to see Adrian collapse to the floor, Daph cradled protectively in his
arms.
The metal bolt was lodged in Adrian’s back, only the fletching visible above his
jacket.
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Adrian’s face drained of color as he grimaced in pain.
So close–just a split second away from disaster.
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