Small Hands Novel Chapter 11

Small Hands Novel Chapter 11

Thursday. The trap.

We’d arranged a meeting at Vesper headquarters-ostensibly a partnership discussion. Vivienne accepted immediately.

She arrived at ten with the confidence of a woman who believed she was the smartest person alive.

Conference room. Coffee. Floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Impressive operation,” she said. “I’m building a European consortium. Vesper would be the ideal partner.”

“Interesting timing.”

“I wanted to see if you were as formidable as advertised.” Her eyes hardened. “You are.”

She pulled out documents. “I’ve prepared-”

The door opened.

Rhys walked in.

Vivienne’s composure cracked-one millisecond of shock, then fear, then the cold fury of a cornered animal.

“Rhys.” Smooth recovery. “What a coincidence.”

“Not remotely.” He sat beside me. “We know about Agent Crane, Vivienne.”

I slid the evidence across the table. “Wire transfers through Calder subsidiaries. Bribed officials. Streaming fraud across five countries.”

She went pale.

“Crane is cooperating with the DOJ,” I said. “Recordings, testimony, documentation of every instruction you gave him.”

Her hands trembled-the first involuntary response I’d seen.

“One more thing.” Rhys placed a document before her. “Custody petition. Filed this morning in London. Criminal conduct rendering you unfit as

guardian.”

All color vanished.

“You can’t take my daughter.”

“She’s my daughter.” Rhys’s voice fractured. “She has always been my daughter.”

“I gave her stability-”

“You gave her lies.” He stood. “In sixty seconds, the FBI agents outside will arrest you. While you’re in custody, I’ll be flying to London to bring Isla

home.”

Vivienne lunged-at me.

“You did this! You poisoned him-‘

Security caught her.

Doors opened. Federal agents filled the room. As they cuffed her, she looked at me with pure venom.

“He’ll destroy you too.”

I looked at Rhys. At the tears streaming silently down his face. At a man who’d waited four years to hold his child.

“No,” I said quietly. “He won’t.”

They took her away.

Rhys collapsed into a chair. Covered his face.

I knelt beside him. Took his hands.

“It’s done. You’re bringing her home.”

He pulled me into his arms so fiercely I couldn’t breathe.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

I held him while he broke apart-this powerful, guarded, extraordinary man, weeping in my arms.

And I knew, with absolute certainty, that I loved him.