Chapter 2 - OUT IN THE COLD
“Play?” Nathan’s voice dropped an octave, vibrating with a cold fury that made the remaining guests scramble toward the coat check. “You think this is a game?”
He didn't wait for her answer. Nathan pulled out his phone, bypassing his assistant and dialing the head of his private security detail. "Marcus. Front door. Now."
Vanessa crossed her arms, shivering slightly in her silver dress as the ambient heat of the house began to normalize, the roaring fireplace the only source of warmth now that the party's bodies were fleeing. "What are you doing, Nathan? You’re making a scene. Over what? A piece of bread? They were misbehaving!"
"They are starving," Nathan corrected, his eyes locking onto hers with terrifying precision. "And you are leaving."
The heavy oak doors of the ballroom swung open, and Marcus, a former Marine who had worked for Nathan for five years, stepped in with two other security personnel.
"Mr. Caldwell?" Marcus assessed the room, his eyes lingering on the crushed lobster and spilled champagne before settling on Nathan.
"Escort my wife off the property," Nathan commanded. "She is not to pack a bag. She is not to take her jewelry box. She leaves with what she is wearing."
Vanessa’s jaw dropped. The sheer audacity of the order seemed to paralyze her for a second before she exploded. "You can't do this! I am your wife! Half of everything here is mine! It's twenty degrees outside, you psycho!"
"My daughters are freezing in their own home," Nathan stepped forward, towering over her. "You have a platinum credit card in your purse. You can buy a coat at the St. Regis. Marcus, if she resists, carry her out."
"Don't you dare touch me!" Vanessa shrieked as Marcus stepped forward. She threw her champagne flute at the wall, shattering it, before stomping toward the exit, slipping wildly on the caviar. "You’ll pay for this, Nathan! My lawyers will strip you down to your bones!"
Nathan didn't watch her leave. The moment the front doors slammed shut, he turned his back on the mess of his shattered marriage. He had a much more important crisis to tend to. He sprinted back down the dark, freezing corridor toward the family dining room.
May you like
When he pushed the door open, the four girls were still there, huddled together in a single oversized velvet chair, trying to share body heat. They looked like terrified little birds.
Nathan stripped off his heavy cashmere overcoat and wrapped it around all four of them, pulling them into his chest. "I've got you," he whispered, burying his face in their fine, cold hair. "Daddy’s here. And she is never, ever coming back."
