Chapter 6
Corinne's frantic, desperate screams echoed down the long, marble corridor as she was dragged toward the heavy mahogany doors. The doors slammed shut with a definitive, echoing thud, sealing the dining hall in a profound, heavy silence.
Dorian turned his attention back to the room. He looked at the fifty guests who were staring at him with wide, terrified eyes. The festive evergreen garlands and the sparkling Christmas tree felt entirely absurd against the backdrop of an exposed kidnapping plot.
"Are you all waiting for dessert, or have you lost your appetites?" Dorian asked the crowd, his deep voice carrying a cold, dismissive edge.
The spell broke. The elite guests scrambled for the exits, eager to escape the unpredictable wrath of the mafia boss. Chairs scraped loudly against the cream marble floor as they hurried out, leaving their untouched gold-rimmed porcelain and crystal glasses behind. Within minutes, the vast, luxurious room was entirely empty of civilians, leaving only a few trusted guards, Dorian, Ava, and Lily.
Dorian let out a long, slow breath. The rigid tension in his broad shoulders relaxed by a fraction of an inch. He turned his full attention back to the woman and child standing behind him.
Ava was on her knees on the marble floor, her rumpled white apron pooling around her. She was holding Lily tightly to her chest, rocking slightly back and forth, consumed by a fresh, agonizing wave of relief and grief. Lily was burying her face in her shoulder, holding onto the mother she had been told didn't want her.
Dorian walked slowly to them. He dropped to one knee, completely ignoring the crease it put in his expensive tailored trousers. He reached out, his heavily tattooed hands gently enveloping Ava’s shaking shoulders.
"Ava," Dorian whispered, his voice losing the lethal edge it had carried moments before, softening into a quiet, intimate register. "I am so deeply sorry."
Ava looked up, her puffy, shadowed eyes meeting his. "She took her from me. She made me believe she was dead."
"I know," Dorian said, his own eyes burning with unshed emotion. "And she will pay for it. I swear to you on my life, she will pay for every tear you have shed."
He stood up straight, lifting Lily effortlessly into his arms, keeping the girl tucked securely against his broad shoulders. He turned his attention back to Ava, offering her his hand.
"Come," Dorian said gently, pulling her to her feet. "We cannot stay in this room. The estate will be on lockdown within the hour, and the Vale family will likely retaliate before dawn once they realize Corinne is missing."
"Where will I go, sir? I am just a maid," Ava whispered, looking down at her creased black dress.
"You are not a maid tonight, Ava," Dorian replied, his deep voice resolute. "You are under my absolute protection. You and Lily."
"Silas," Dorian called out to the capo standing near the doors. "Have a detail escort us to my private study. I want four men on the door at all times."
"Right away, Boss," Silas nodded, gesturing for his men to form a protective perimeter.
The journey through the opulent corridors of the mansion was a blur of frantic activity. Tactical enforcers, dressed in dark combat gear, were rapidly taking up positions by every window and entrance, transforming the luxurious estate into an impenetrable fortress. The warm, festive lights of Christmas Eve felt entirely out of place against the cold, metallic reality of weapons being loaded and radios crackling with secure comms.
May you like
Dorian did not let go of Ava’s hand. He guided her through the chaos with a calm, absolute authority, his presence alone parting the sea of armed men. They reached the heavy oak doors of his private study located deep within the secure interior of the mansion.
He pushed the doors open and ushered her inside, locking the deadbolt behind them. The study was a sanctuary of dark wood, leather bindings, and soft, amber lighting. It was quiet here, insulated from the frantic preparations outside.
