Chapter 3 - The Reckoning
Arthur knelt onto the Persian rug, ruining the crease of his designer trousers, and opened his arms. "Sophie. Chloe. Come here."
The girls hesitated for a fraction of a second—a hesitation that broke Arthur's heart all over again—before they scrambled forward, burying their faces in his chest. He wrapped his arms around them, holding them tighter than he ever had. Over their small shoulders, he looked up at Clara.
"Thank you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. It wasn't just a polite dismissal; it was a profound, life-altering gratitude. "Thank you for protecting them when I was too blind to do it myself."
Clara let out a shaky breath, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She simply nodded, stepping back to give them space.
"Arthur, what is going on?" Eleanor demanded, trying to force a nervous, high-pitched laugh. She took a step toward them, reaching out a hand. "The girls were just misbehaving, and Clara was being utterly insubordinate—"
Arthur stood up slowly, gently pushing the girls behind him. He finally turned his gaze to Eleanor. The look in his eyes made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Did someone ask you to speak?" Arthur asked.
May you like
The exact words she had just used on Clara. Eleanor gasped, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for a hidden ghost. "I... I don't..."
"I've been in the house the entire time, Eleanor," Arthur said, his voice deadly quiet. "Watching the cameras. Listening to every vile, cruel word that came out of your mouth."
