Chapter 9: The Ice in His Eyes
Maximilian slowly turned his torso away from his newly found sister. The warmth, the joy, and the profound vulnerability that had filled his face moments ago vanished into thin air, replaced by a dark, lethal vacuum of pure fury.
He locked his gaze onto the woman in the emerald dress. His eyes were no longer those of a weary husband; they were as cold as absolute ice, sharp and cutting enough to freeze the blood in Eleanor's veins.
"Maximilian... darling," Eleanor stammered, her voice pitching an octave too high as she raised her hands in a desperate, trembling plea. "I... I had no idea! You must believe me! If I had known she was your sister, I would have never... The girl looked so ordinary! It was an honest mistake, a misunderstanding of household protocol!"
"An honest mistake?" Maximilian’s voice was dangerously quiet, a low growl that carried more terror than a scream. "You threw food at her last week, Eleanor. I heard you call her a parasite from my study. And today, you laid your hands on her and destroyed the only connection she had to our deceased mother."
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He walked toward her, each heavy footstep against the marble floor sounding like a ticking clock counting down the seconds of her luxury.
"You didn't abuse her because you thought she was a maid, Eleanor," Maximilian said, his jaw clenching tightly. "You abused her because you are a cruel, miserable tyrant who enjoys breaking anyone you deem inferior. You brought rot into my mother's home."
