Chapter 8
Ada was still standing closely behind him, her hands trembling as she smoothed her rumpled white apron. Her beautiful features were pale, her eyes still puffy and red from her earlier tears, and her disheveled hair fell loosely around her face. She kept her arms wrapped protectively around Theo's small shoulders.
Matthias crouched down, his tailored suit shifting, and looked his son in the eye.
"Are you unharmed, Theo?" Matthias asked, his deep voice softening significantly, losing its lethal, interrogative edge.
Theo wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his navy suit. He looked at the towering mafia boss, his eyes searching for reassurance. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just couldn't let her hurt Ada anymore."
"Would I ever be angry with you for telling the truth about a monster?" Matthias asked, reaching out to gently cup the boy’s cheek.
Theo sniffled, leaning into his father's large, tattooed hand. "No."
"You are a very brave boy," Matthias murmured, his thumb brushing away a tear. "You protected your family."
Matthias stood back up and shifted his gaze to Ada. The beautiful housemaid was watching him, her exhausted eyes drawn together in quiet empathy. She had endured hours of psychological torture and carried the terrifying secret of the fire simply to protect a motherless child. The fierce, gentle loyalty she had displayed was a rare, precious commodity in Matthias's dark, violent world.
"Are you injured, Ada?" Matthias asked softly, stepping closer to her, his imposing frame casting a protective shadow over her trembling figure.
"No, Mr. Vale," Ada answered gently, her graceful posture returning despite her disheveled state. "I am perfectly fine."
"You are not fine, and you are no longer a maid in this house," Matthias stated, his voice a low, gravelly command laced with profound affection. "From this moment forward, you answer to no one but me. You will move into the secure wing tonight with Theo."
Ada’s breath hitched. The magnitude of the offer, and the safety it provided, was overwhelming. "Thank you, Matthias."
Before Matthias could respond to the sound of his first name on her lips, the heavy oak doors of the dining room burst open again. A bloodied security operative stumbled into the room, gasping for breath.
"Is the perimeter breached?" Matthias asked, spinning around, his hand already reaching for the concealed weapon beneath his vest.
"Yes, Boss!" the operative choked out. "The Shaw syndicate didn't wait! They hit the outer gates! We have multiple hostiles on the grounds!"
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Matthias looked back at Ada, his cold, perceptive eyes burning with an unyielding, protective fire.
"Shall we show them exactly what it costs to threaten my family?" Matthias asked the quiet room, racking the slide of his handgun with a sharp, metallic clatter as the estate's high-pitched security sirens began to wail.
