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Chapter 3
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I Left With My Daughter Chapter 22
When spring arrived, Cecilia’s consulting firm finally stood on solid ground.She took on a batch of private collections damaged during sea transport. One nineteenth-century portrait, after restoration, was featured at the same time in several West Coast art magazines.Her name returned to the professional spotlight. She no longer relied on any family title. People spoke of her simply as an appraiser and restoration consultant.Her schedule grew busier, but she no longer felt anxious.Isabella adjusted to her new life as well.She made friends at her new school. She learned to carry her backpack on her own and ran to Alexander at bedtime for stories.Alexander never tried to take the place of her father. He simply filled the gap with patience and gentleness.He would sit on the floor, helping Isabella build with Legos. When Cecilia worked late, he brought her dinner and hot soup to the consulting office on time.He still teased her sometimes.He called her “a workaholic kidnap
I Left With My Daughter Chapter 21
A few days later, the court held a temporary hearing. Lyon had a record of letting dangerous people near his child, misusing a minor’s trust funds, and losing his temper outside Isabella’s school, so the judge ruled that he could only see her under supervision until the official verdict. He was not allowed to go to her school or home on his own.When the news spread, New Yorke’s high society exploded.A man who controlled ports and casinos had to schedule every visit with his own daughter and always be watched by someone else. It was more humiliating than any gossip.Lyon sat in his lawyer’s office. For the first time, he felt like a joke.Memories surfaced in his mind. He remembered the first time Cecilia had brought Isabella to the estate. The little girl held onto his finger and refused to let go. He remembered Cecilia taking a bullet for him at a family dinner. Her arm needed six stitches, but she never cried out.He remembered how strongly she used to make a scene. She
I Left With My Daughter Chapter 20
When Lyon returned to the estate, the study was already full.Margaret sat at the head of the table. Several uncles, the financial director, and the lawyers were all there.A thick stack of accounts, transfer receipts, and inquiry letters from the port committee were spread across the table.No one was holding back.An elder in charge of the West Coast routes said, “You used Isabella’s trust for an actress and tapped the family’s emergency funds. Now the port partners are demanding a full audit, and the casino’s cash flow is under regulatory review. Do you understand what that means?”Another voice added coldly, “It means the Melville family won’t have peace for the next three months.”Lyon stood at the table. His expression was dark, but he tried to defend himself. “I’ll make up for the money. The projects are already finished. It’s not as serious as you make it sound.”“Not that serious?”Margaret finally spoke. Her voice was cold. “If Isabella had actually died in that port
I Left With My Daughter Chapter 19
“Trying a different approach?”Lyon sneered. “Cecilia, do you really think a few documents can pin me down?”This time, Cecilia stepped forward before Alexander could speak. She picked up another folder from the workbench. She flipped to the last page and held it in front of Lyon.“These are not just a few papers,” she said. “These are bank confirmation letters, receipts from the prosecutor’s office, court case numbers, and your electronic signatures on several dispatch records.“Whether you get away with this doesn’t depend on you. It doesn’t depend on me either. The judge and the audit committee decide that.”Lyon stared at the words. The last bit of his forced coldness finally broke.He probably never imagined that the woman who once arranged seating at his charity dinners, smoothed over his mistakes, and cleaned up after his affairs would one day apply every rule to him without mercy.“You really had to go this far?”“You are the one who pushed things this far,” Cecilia s
I Left With My Daughter Chapter 18
Cecilia had not even had the chance to define what their relationship was when her calm life was disrupted again.That afternoon, she was in the restoration room making the final adjustments to an antique mantel clock. The wind chime at the door rang softly. She thought it was a client, but when she looked up, she saw Lyon enter.He stood there in a dark gray coat. His face looked darker and more worn than the last time she had seen him. The exhaustion did not make him look weak. It gave him a brooding, almost desperate air, as if he had been pushed to the edge.“You sure know how to hide,” he said in a low voice.Cecilia took off her gloves. Her face showed no emotion. “This is my workplace, not Melville territory. I wasn’t hiding.”Lyon studied her as if he wanted to find a sign of softness on her face, but there was none.“And Isabella?”“She’s at school.” Cecilia closed the folder on the workbench. “If you want to see her, go through the lawyers and the court. Don’t show
I Left With My Daughter Chapter 17
After that day, something between Cecilia and Alexander had secretly changed.The change was not dramatic. It felt like ripples spreading slowly across water.She no longer saw him as just an overly attentive brother. He no longer relied on jokes to hide what he felt.He still teased her.When she frowned at a restoration report and stared at it for too long, he leaned over and said in a serious tone, “Miss appraiser, that expression makes you look like you’re planning a murder. Do you need me to take care of the body? Legal counsel comes at a discount.”At other times, she became so busy that she forgot to eat. He set a meal on her desk and said, “Ms. Laurent, if you don’t eat, I’ll start thinking that you survive on pure resentment.”Every time, she did not know whether to laugh or feel annoyed.But when it really mattered, he was more reliable than anyone else.Once, a client tried to pass off an antique of unclear origin. When Cecilia refused, the client tried to pressure h
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