Chapter 6 - FLIGHT INTO THE DARK
The elevator doors slid shut just as Eleanor rushed into the hallway, her phone pressed to her ear. Lily watched the numbers tick down rapidly, her heart pounding a frantic, terrifying rhythm against her ribs. She was wearing the oversized cashmere sweater and sweatpants, but she had no shoes. She hadn't bothered to grab the boots Julian had bought her; there hadn't been time.
When the elevator reached the underground parking garage, Lily bolted. She bypassed the security desk by slipping behind a row of massive support pillars, a ghost moving through the concrete shadows. She found an emergency exit stairwell and pushed the heavy metal door open, stepping out into the freezing alleyway behind the Pierce Tower.
The cold hit her like a physical blow. The winter storm Julian had mentioned had arrived. The sky was a bruised, heavy gray, and thick, icy snow was already beginning to pile on the asphalt. The wind howled, biting through the expensive cashmere instantly.
Lily didn't care. The cold was a monster she knew. The system was a monster she couldn't fight.
She ran. She navigated the labyrinth of alleyways and side streets, keeping away from the main avenues where police cruisers and private security vehicles patrolled. Her bare feet quickly went numb against the freezing pavement, turning red and raw, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her moving.
Back in the penthouse, Julian burst through the elevator doors, his face pale and furious. He had received a frantic text from Ethan, who had heard the shouting from his bedroom.
“Where is she?” Julian roared, storming into the living room where Eleanor was sitting on the sofa, sipping a glass of sparkling water, the diamond necklace resting on the coffee table.
“Julian, darling, thank god,” Eleanor sighed dramatically, standing up. “The little beast stole your grandmother’s diamond. I found it hidden under her pillow. I’ve already called the authorities. They are on their way to apprehend her.”
Julian didn't look at the diamond. He walked directly up to Eleanor, his eyes blazing with a rage so profound it made her step back in genuine fear.
“You planted it,” Julian stated, his voice a lethal, vibrating growl.
“Excuse me?” Eleanor gasped, clutching her pearls in mock offense. “Julian, how dare you! The evidence was in her bed!”
“Lily hasn't left this penthouse in four days. She doesn't know the layout of the security cases. The glass was smashed from the outside in, with a heavy object. Lily weighs sixty pounds and is terrified of making noise,” Julian dissected the lie with ruthless corporate precision. “Furthermore, Harrison informed me you sent him to the wine cellar for ten minutes right before the ‘robbery’ occurred. You framed a child to protect your own fragile ego.”
“Julian, she is a street rat! She doesn't belong here! I did this for us! For the company!” Eleanor shrieked, dropping the act entirely.
“You did this for yourself,” Julian snarled. “Harrison!”
The butler appeared instantly. “Yes, Mr. Pierce?”
“Pack Eleanor’s bags. All of them. Cancel her access codes to the building, freeze the joint accounts, and have security escort her off the premises. If she resists, call the police and have her arrested for filing a false police report and grand larceny.” Julian turned his back on the screaming woman. “The engagement is over.”
Julian pulled out his phone, his hands shaking with panic. He dialed his head of security.
“Marcus. Lily is gone. She ran. The storm is hitting Category 3 levels, and she has no shoes. I want every single man we have on the streets. I want helicopters in the air. I don't care what it costs. Find her before the cold does.”
Julian hung up and sprinted down the hallway to Ethan’s room. His son was sitting up in bed, tears streaming down his face, clutching his phone.
“Dad, she left. I couldn't stop her. My legs…” Ethan sobbed, gesturing to his heavy casts. “She’s going to die out there.”
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“No, she isn't,” Julian said fiercely, grabbing his heavy winter coat from the chair. “I am going to find her, Ethan. I promise you. I will bring her back.”
Julian ran out of the penthouse, plunging into the freezing, chaotic city. The billionaire CEO was no longer looking for a return on an investment; he was a father desperately searching for his daughter in the snow.
