Chapter 7
The heavy walnut doors of the dining room suddenly burst open, shattering the tense quiet of the mansion. Four massive men stepped into the room, wearing dark suits that bulged with concealed weaponry. They were Estelle’s personal guard, loyal exclusively to the Warren family, and their eyes scanned the room with immediate, lethal intent.
Vera gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around Henry and pulling the boy close to her chest. Henry didn't cry out, but he buried his face in the soft fabric of Vera's black maid dress, seeking the only true comfort he had ever known in this house.
Estelle’s posture instantly straightened. Her diamond earrings caught the light as she walked over to stand behind her men, her sculpted satin gown trailing behind her like a royal cape. The fear had entirely vanished from her eyes, replaced by a cruel, arrogant certainty.
"We are leaving, Adrian," Estelle announced, her voice echoing with newfound authority. "And when my father hears that you chose a servant over his daughter, he will cut off your supply lines. Your capos will turn on you the moment the money stops flowing."
Adrian did not draw a weapon. He did not call for his own security. He stood perfectly still near the head of the table, his hands resting casually in the pockets of his tailored three-piece suit. He looked at the four armed men, his cold, observant eyes analyzing them with terrifying precision.
"Have any of you gentlemen considered the consequences of drawing weapons in my home?" Adrian asked, his deep voice effortlessly projecting across the massive room.
The lead guard, a scarred man with dead eyes, took a step forward, his hand resting menacingly on the lapel of his jacket where his gun was hidden. "We take our orders from Miss Warren, Mr. Lockwood. We’re just here to ensure she leaves safely."
"Did I ever imply she was a prisoner here?" Adrian inquired, tilting his head slightly. The refined tattoos on his hand flashed as he casually gestured toward the open doors. "Are you not free to walk out the front door whenever you choose, Estelle?"
Estelle sneered. "I am walking out. But I'm not leaving empty-handed. Your disrespect tonight demands a toll."
She pointed a manicured finger directly at Vera, who was trembling violently in the velvet chair.
"Bring the maid," Estelle ordered her men. "My father will want to have a very long conversation with the woman who ruined our alliance."
The four men moved forward, their heavy boots thudding against the polished marble floor. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, her slender frame shaking as she held onto Henry. She knew exactly what the Warren family did to people they took into their basements.
"Are you truly foolish enough to touch a woman under my protection?" Adrian asked.
The lead guard hesitated for a fraction of a second, intimidated by the sheer, imposing presence of the mafia boss. But a sharp, vicious command from Estelle propelled them forward again.
"Get her!" Estelle shrieked.
Before the guard could take another step toward the head of the table, Adrian moved. It was a blur of tailored dark fabric and terrifying violence. He didn't pull a gun. He reached out with lightning speed, grabbing the lead guard by the lapels of his suit and slamming him brutally face-first into the ornate marble fireplace.
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The sound of cracking bone echoed through the dining room.
"Do you still wish to follow her orders?" Adrian asked the remaining three men, standing over the unconscious body of their leader, his breathing perfectly steady.
