chapter2080

Terror flooded Felix's eyes. He nodded so quickly his brown curls quivered. "Understood."

Only then did Nathaniel let the matter drop.

Felix was not born a terror. With proper guidance, he could have been an ordinary, even likable, child.

When Nathaniel kept the boy near, Felix's worst fault had been harmless pride. Under Miranda's indulgence, that pride had swollen into reckless arrogance.

Miranda's palms were slick with sweat. Afraid Nathaniel might actually make good on his threat, she hurried forward and scooped Felix into her arms.

“Nathaniel, he's only a child. Don't frighten him like that."

The smug curve that had owned her lips minutes ago was nowhere to be found.

At that moment, Elodie, the store manager, finally placed the face to the name. The boy was Nathaniel's son.

A cold wave sluiced through her chest, as though the air-conditioning had been switched to winter.

Offending Miranda could at worst cost her business its lease. However, offending Nathaniel meant packing her bags and leaving Tudela forever.

"M-Mr. Rainsworth..." Elodie's voice cracked, her composure crumbling fast.

Seeing their manager unravel, the salesgirls who had pinned Jonathan a moment ago felt dread seep into their bones.

They had only followed orders. At that instant, they prayed those orders would not invite retribution.

Even before he crossed the threshold, Nathaniel had spotted his son and a fellow clerk restrained by several attendants. "Who authorized this boutique to lay hands on my son and strip him of his freedom?"

Elodie's spine turned to glass. She shot Miranda a silent plea, eyes wide with desperation.

Miranda simply angled her head away, allowing that plea to shatter against indifference.

Ice spread through Elodie's chest. How can she behave in this manner? I was only following her instructions.

Elodie forced a bow. "Mr. Rainsworth, this is all a misunderstanding. I am terribly sorry."

Miranda was Nathaniel's relative. Exposing Miranda was not an option. Elodie could only swallow the truth.

Elodie figured that it would make no difference since Nathaniel would never punish Miranda for a stranger's testimony. s ? ?s

She could not possibly further offend Miranda after angering Nathaniel.

Nathaniel's gaze stayed frigid. "Do you imagine one flimsy apology erases what happened here today?"

A quiver ran the length of Elodie's

body Please Mr. Rainsworth. Show

a little mercy," she

whispered, vorce

intact.

s

"Mr. Rainsworth, our manager acted only because that woman forced her hand," Ivy said, stepping forward.

Ivy knew Elodie was not a bad

person at heart. If it weren't for

Elodie Ivy wouldn't have had the

opportunity to

ork at such &

high-end place.

s

Since she was about to leave the job, Ivy figured she might as well repay Elodie the favor.

Hearing Ivy's words, Nathaniel turned to look at her.

"Don't you dare lie. You follow my orders, do you? If I told you to eat dirt, would you?" Miranda sneered.

Her venom left the staff mute, their protest lodged in throats already burning.

Nathaniel needed no diagram to see who had pulled the strings.

Still, he had witnessed those attendants manhandle his boy, so letting them walk unscathed felt wrong.

Jonathan stepped forward, chin lifted. "Dad, don't trouble them. They're only trying to earn a living."

He then angled toward Ivy. "Ms. Ivy, you don't have to worry. My dad's a fair man."

The compliment shackled whatever punishment Nathaniel had been ready to unleash.

A visible sigh deflated Ivy's shoulders.

She still had no idea who this towering man truly was, but the

manager's and Miranda's terr net

proved enough She knew Nathaniel

wasn't someone to cross content belongs to s