Chapter 4 - The Tower of Glass and Steel
Twelve hours later, the storm had moved east, leaving the sky over Columbus, Ohio, a pale, pristine blue.
On the top floor of the Montgomery Global Tower, fifty stories above the downtown streets, the air was warm, quiet, and smelled of white orchids and polished mahogany.
In the executive suite’s private master bathroom, Lily stood in front of a mirror that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.
She didn't recognize the child staring back at her.
The dirt was gone. Her dark hair had been washed with sweet-smelling chamomile soap and brushed until it shone. She wore a soft lavender wool sweater, dark blue trousers, and genuine leather boots that fitted her feet so perfectly they felt like air compared to her old sneakers.
On the bed in the adjoining room lay a small leather backpack, filled with new clothes, a sketchbook, and a set of colored pencils.
The door opened softly.
Arthur Montgomery walked into the room. His throat was bandaged beneath a high-collared white shirt, his left arm supported by a black silk sling, but his posture was upright, rigid, and commanding. His eyes, cold and severe to the rest of the world, softened the moment he looked at Lily.
"Does everything fit?" he asked gently.
Lily nodded slowly, touching the sleeve of her sweater. "It's... too clean. I'm going to ruin it."
"You can't ruin it, Lily," Arthur said, stepping closer and kneeling down so he was at eye level with her. "It's yours. Everything in this room is yours."
Lily looked down at her boots. "When do we get Emma?"
Arthur’s face darkened slightly, a shadow of grave seriousness entering his expression. "That is why I came in here. We have a problem, Lily."
Lily’s heart dropped like a stone. Her hands immediately clenched into fists at her sides. "You lied to me. You said—"
"I did not lie to you," Arthur cut her off firmly, but gently. "Listen to me carefully. My brother, Julian, knows I survived the crash. He knows I am back in the city. Right now, he is desperate. He knows that if I walk into the shareholder meeting at two o'clock today, he goes to prison for attempted murder."
Arthur reached out, placing his good hand on her shoulder. "Julian’s men searched the barn after it burned. They found traces of a child's footprints in the mud. They checked the local records in Oakridge this morning. They know about you, Lily. And they know about Emma."
Lily’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes went wide with pure terror. "Emma... they're at the center!"
"My men are already surrounding the Oakridge Children's Center," Arthur said, his voice turning to steel. "No one touches your sister. But Julian has filed an emergency legal hold through a corrupt family court judge. He claims you are an abandoned minor and that I am harboring you illegally. If I step foot in Oakridge before the board meeting, his lawyers will have me arrested for kidnapping, keeping me away from the vote."
Lily stared at him, her quick mind analyzing the trap. "If you miss the meeting, he gets the company. If he gets the company, he has the money to buy the judges... and take Emma forever."
Arthur smiled proudly, amazed by the child's razor-sharp intellect. "Precisely."
"So what do we do?" Lily asked.
Arthur stood up, his jaw set in an unyielding line. "We don't play his game. We play mine."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fresh, pressed blue handkerchief. He had personally embroidered five crooked yellow stars onto the corner with gold thread.
May you like
He handed it to her.
"Hold onto this," Arthur said softly. "Today, Lily, we go to war."
