“Richard, you’re misunderstanding—”
“No.”
I interrupted.
For the first time in two years, I didn’t let Eleanor finish her explanation.
“I’m starting to understand everything.”
I looked at my daughter.
The little girl who had been hiding in the dark.
The little girl who was afraid of stepping on a rug in her own home.
Then I looked at my wife.
The woman I had trusted.
The woman who had promised to protect my child.
“I want to know one thing, Eleanor.”
Her expression hardened.
“What?”
I stepped forward.
“How long has this been happening?”
She said nothing.
And that silence gave me my answer.
The rain outside grew louder.
But inside the house, something much bigger had begun.
The perfect image Eleanor had built for everyone was cracking.
And I knew one thing.
I would not stop until I discovered every lie.
Because someone had hurt my daughter.
And now they were going to learn exactly who Richard Sterling was when he stopped protecting them.