Chapter 3 - The Blue Shield
It was James.
Wearing a sharp, custom navy-blue suit, James moved like a battering ram through the paralyzed crowd. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, his jaw set in a line of pure, lethal fury. James was Julian’s younger brother—and the former head of security for Vance Global before a deep, bitter rift had forced them apart two years ago.
"Did you hit your own daughter?!" James roared, his voice echoing off the high plaster ceilings like a thunderclap.
Julian barely had time to turn his head before James closed the distance. James grabbed Julian by the silk lapels of his tuxedo, driving his collar back and shoving him violently into a massive ice sculpture of a swan, sending crystal-clear ice shards shattering across the carpet.
"Get your hands off me, James!" Julian snarled, regaining his footing and trying to straighten his jacket, his eyes burning with corporate malice. "This is private property! Security!"
Two heavy-set security guards in black suits stepped forward, but James spun around, glaring at them with an intensity that made both men freeze in their tracks.
"Step back!" James barked.
Without waiting for their response, James dropped to his knees in front of Lily. The sharp marble cut through the fabric of his trousers, but he didn't care. He swept his arms around the small girl in the blue dress, pulling her small, shaking frame tightly against his chest, shielding her from Julian's towering shadow.
Lily buried her face into the lapel of James's navy jacket, her little fingers clutching the woolen fabric with a desperate, white-knuckled grip.
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"Uncle James!" Lily sobbed, her voice breaking into a ragged, helpless whimper. "Uncle James, make it stop! Please!"
"I've got you, Lily. I've got you," James whispered, his voice trembling as he gently cradled the back of her head. He reached up with a gentle hand, his thumb carefully avoiding the raised, bright red skin on her left cheek.
