Chapter 5 - The Turning Point
Troy’s eyes darted from the empty, exposed wires on the wall to the open closet door behind me. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. The charming, polite persona I had met twice at family dinners was entirely gone, stripped away to reveal the dangerous control freak underneath.
"You shouldn't have been poking around in here," Troy said, his voice dangerously low, almost a hiss. He took a step forward, blocking the only exit from the room. "That little brat doesn't know what's good for her. Some kids just need strict boundaries."
"Boundary?" I stepped out from the shadow of the door, holding the heavy wooden lamp like a baseball bat. "You built a cage in a little girl's closet and spied on her. That's not discipline, Troy. That's abuse, and it's criminal."
Troy let out a cold, humorless chuckle, taking another step closer. "You think the police are going to take your word over mine? Her mother signed off on every bit of it. We're a family. You're just an interfering, dramatic aunt who doesn't understand modern parenting."
"Move out of my way, Troy," I warned, gripping the lamp tighter. "Or I swear to God I will bring this lamp down across your skull."
For a second, hesitation flickered in his eyes. He weighed my resolve against his own arrogance. Then, his eyes shifted past my shoulder toward the desk where Lily was hiding. A cruel, ugly grin spread across his face.
"Lily, come out here right now," he barked, his voice snapping like a whip.
A whimper escaped from beneath the desk, and I saw Lily's small hand grip the edge of the wood.
"Don't you dare touch her," I snarled, lunging forward with the lamp.
Troy moved with shocking speed, lunging to the side and swatting the lamp out of my grip. It shattered against the wall, wood splintering everywhere. Before I could recover my balance, he grabbed my jacket, shoving me backward against the dresser with brutal force. The wind knocked out of my lungs in a sharp gasp.
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"You've made a massive mistake," Troy whispered, stepping in close to my face, his breath hot and sour. "Now, you get to watch what happens to people who stick their noses where they don't belong."
He raised his hand back, ready to strike me, but before his fist could land, the front door downstairs flew open with a deafening crash.
