Chapter 3 - The Secret in the Pantry
Robert stared at her, the gears in his sharp, analytical mind grinding furiously. The proposition made no rational sense. A starving child—or at least one claiming she needed food—offering a miraculous medical cure that eluded the finest minds at Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic.
"You want food," Robert repeated slowly. "That’s your demand? A meal?"
"Not just any meal," she said, her amber eyes darting toward the floor as if remembering something distant. "Real food. Warm food. Made by someone who actually cares what it tastes like, not cooked in a factory or reheated in a plastic tray."
Robert reached out and pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Marcus."
"Yes, Mr. Sterling?" the security chief’s voice crackled through the speaker.
"Cancel the police. And order a complete, full-course dinner from Le Cirque. Have it delivered directly to my private dining suite on the forty-ninth floor within thirty minutes. Anything on the menu. Everything on the menu. And bring it up yourself."
"Sir? Le Cirque? For... for the girl?"
"Do it, Marcus. And if it's five minutes late, look for another job."
Robert released the button and looked back at the girl. "What's your name?"
"Lyra," she said quietly.
"Lyra what?"
"Just Lyra."
"Where are your parents, Lyra? Where do you live?"
Lyra’s expression hardened, the youthful defiance returning to her features. "That’s not part of the deal. The deal was food for a cure. You provide the food, I provide the healing. But we do it where Ethan is. He needs to finish what we started, or the nerve pathways will close back up."
Robert felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Nerve pathways. She used medical terminology casually, yet she looked like she had slept in an alleyway. "How do you know about nerve pathways?"
"I know a lot of things you can't buy on Wall Street, Mr. Sterling."
May you like
Without waiting for permission, Lyra turned and walked toward the office door, pulling it open. Marcus Vance was standing just outside in the hallway, looking stunned to see her roaming freely.
"Take us down to the private family quarters," Robert instructed, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his chair. "And Marcus? Get the car ready. We're moving Ethan to the penthouse residence tonight."
