Chapter 1 - I SEE EVERYTHING
Marianne Cole swung the wooden cane across Clara Hart’s upper arm.
Clara cried out and dropped to one knee.
Before she could move, the cane struck her shoulder again.
“Pregnant by a blind beggar?”
Clara wrapped both arms around her belly.
“Please! Stop!”
The grand living room was full of family.
Victor Cole stood beside the fireplace.
Brooke Cole watched from the sofa.
Neither intervened.
Marianne struck Clara’s protected upper back.
“You’re pathetic!”
Then she sneered toward the hallway.
“And so is that blind loser.”
Clara’s eyes filled.
“Leave my husband alone!”
Marianne raised the cane again.
Clara curled forward.
A hand caught the cane in midair.
Perfectly.
Marianne froze.
Eli Mason stood beside her.
Dark suit.
Dark glasses.
White cane still hanging from one wrist.
He ripped the wooden cane from Marianne’s hand.
Then stepped between her and Clara.
“Touch my wife again.”
His voice was low.
“I dare you.”
Victor stared.
Brooke stood.
Marianne’s mouth opened.
Eli turned his head precisely toward her.
Not approximately.
Precisely.
Brooke whispered:
“Wait.”
Victor stepped backward.
“How did you see that?”
Eli removed his dark glasses.
His eyes locked directly onto Marianne.
Brooke gasped.
“You can see?”
Eli’s expression turned cold.
“I see everything.”
He looked down at Clara.
Her hands were still over her belly.
Then back at Marianne.
“You’ll answer for touching my wife.”
Marianne stumbled backward.
Clara stared at Eli.
Not relieved.
Not entirely.
Confused.
Because he had told her his vision was improving.
He had not told her it was this good.
Then Victor said:
“You lied to all of us.”
Eli looked at him.
“No.”
Pause.
“You stopped asking what was true.”
And before anyone could answer, Clara whispered:
May you like
“Eli… how long have you been able to see?”
That was the question that changed the night from a rescue into something harder.
