Chapter 6

The cold air from the open doorway hit June's back. The blood drained from her face. Her heart skipped a painful beat.

Isaac shrugged off his black wool overcoat and handed it to a bodyguard. His sharp blue eyes swept across the room like a searchlight, taking in the shattered porcelain and the cracked television screen.

Tristan saw his father. It was like he had seen a savior. He scrambled off the sofa and sprinted across the room.

He threw his arms around Isaac's leg, burying his face in his father's trousers, and let out a heartbreaking wail. "Daddy! The bad woman hit me! She tried to kill me!"

Isaac's brow furrowed heavily. He looked down at his sobbing youngest son and placed a large hand on the boy's head to calm him.

June stood ten feet away. She locked her knees to keep them from shaking. She dug her fingernails into her palms, her mind spinning frantically for an excuse.

Cole turned his head slightly from his corner, shooting his father a look of silent, long-suffering victimhood.

Isaac's gaze slowly dragged across the room until it locked onto June. His eyes were completely dead, devoid of any human warmth.

He stepped forward. His leather shoes thudded heavily against the hardwood floor. Each step felt like a hammer striking June's chest.

The physical pressure of his approach made it hard to breathe, but she forced her chin up, refusing to look away.

Isaac stopped exactly one step away from her. His eyes flicked downward, landing on her right hand. The palm was still flushed red from the impact of the spanking.

Tristan peeked out from behind Isaac's leg. He flashed June a vicious, triumphant smile.

June saw the smirk. A hot spike of anger flared in her chest, but she bit her tongue, keeping her face blank.

Isaac spoke. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "You hit him." It wasn't a question.

June lifted her chin higher. "Yes. He smashed a Ming vase and the TV. He needed discipline."

Tristan shrieked from behind his father's leg. "I didn't! She yelled at me first, and I bumped into it by accident!"

Isaac didn't look down at Tristan. Instead, he turned his head toward the corner. "Cole. Come here."

Cole kept his head bowed as he walked over, looking like a terrified, obedient child.

"Why are you standing in the corner?" Isaac asked, his voice chilling.

Cole hesitated perfectly. "Mother said it was my fault for not stopping my brother," he said softly.

It was a brilliant manipulation. He confirmed his brother was at fault while painting June as an irrational tyrant who punished the innocent.

June let out a cold scoff, opening her mouth to tear his lie apart. The system's warning flashed in her eyes, forcing her jaw shut.

Isaac fell silent. The air in the room turned to ice. Everyone waited for the explosion, for Isaac to destroy her.

Instead, Isaac reached down. He grabbed the back of Tristan's collar and hoisted the boy up so they were eye-to-level.

His eyes were terrifyingly strict. "You destroy property, and then you lie to my face. Is this the standard I set for you?"

Tristan's fake crying choked off instantly. He stared at his father in pure terror, completely blindsided.

Isaac dropped him and turned to Cole. His tone grew even harsher. "And you. You stand by and watch, then try to deflect the blame. You are using your intellect for petty games."

Cole's face went completely white. His perfect mask was ripped away in a second.

Finally, Isaac turned back to June. His gaze flickered from her flushed face to Cole's rigid posture in the corner, then to the sly, fleeting look of triumph Tristan failed to hide. A complex, dark emotion swirled in his eyes.

His lips parted, and he delivered three words that shattered the room. "Well disciplined, June."

The hall fell into a dead, ringing silence.