“Dominic, you startled me, I didn’t expect you back from the city until Friday,” she said with a forced, fluttering smile. She tried to smooth her hair and added, “The children are being absolutely impossible tonight, and I was just teaching them some discipline.”
Dominic ignored her completely and knelt on the carpet, reaching out toward his daughter. Audrey didn’t run to him; instead, she winced and pulled Toby tighter against her chest.
That flinch hurt more than any business failure ever could. “It’s okay, Audrey, it’s just me,” he said, his voice cracking as he held out his hands.
Slowly, she recognized him and fell into his arms, sobbing with a desperation that shook her small frame. As Dominic lifted Toby, he realized the boy’s clothes were damp and he smelled of neglect.
He looked at Audrey’s arms and saw faint, purple bruises where someone had gripped her too hard. He stood up, his eyes burning with a cold rage as he looked at the woman he had trusted.