Chapter 9
The silence that followed Adrian's question was absolute, heavy with the terrifying implications of mafia diplomacy. Estelle stood perfectly still, her chest rising and falling in rapid, panicked breaths. She stared at the phone in Adrian’s hand as if it were an explosive device counting down to zero.
Vera, still sitting in the velvet chair at the head of the table, held Henry tighter against her side. The boy was awake, his wide, innocent eyes taking in the brutal reality of his father's world. Vera’s softly heart-shaped face was pale, her delicate cheekbones prominent in the golden light of the chandeliers. She had inadvertently become the linchpin in a war between two massive criminal empires.
Adrian listened to the voice on the other end of the line. His angular face remained entirely impassive. The sharply defined jaw clenched slightly, the only outward sign that he was processing information. The refined tattoos on his hand remained perfectly steady as he held the encrypted phone.
"Do we have an understanding, then?" Adrian asked quietly into the receiver.
He listened for another moment, gave a single, curt nod to the empty room, and disconnected the call. He slipped the phone back into the inner pocket of his tailored suit and turned his full, devastating attention back to Estelle.
"What did he say?" Estelle demanded, her voice shrill and desperate. "What did my father say to you?"
"Did you really believe your father would sacrifice his most profitable alliance to save a daughter who cannot even manage a dinner party without inciting a rebellion?" Adrian inquired.
Estelle’s knees finally buckled. She collapsed onto the polished floor, her sculpted satin gown pooling around her like a dark stain. The realization that she had been entirely abandoned by her own blood broke her completely. The diamond engagement ring on her finger slipped, suddenly looking loose and entirely meaningless.
"He gave me to you?" Estelle whispered, tears ruining her immaculate makeup. "He just... gave me away?"
"Are you not the one who demanded a toll be paid tonight?" Adrian asked, his polished leather shoes making a soft sound against the marble as he took a step toward her.
"Adrian, please," Estelle begged, looking up at him with pathetic, wide eyes. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll leave the city. I'll never speak to Henry again. Just let me live. Please."
Adrian stared down at the weeping woman, his cold, observant eyes devoid of any pity or mercy. He had seen too many monsters hide behind tears to be moved by them.
"Will you crawl out of my house, Estelle?" Adrian asked softly.
Estelle didn't hesitate. Stripped of all her pride, her power, and her family's protection, the former future matriarch of the Lockwood syndicate scrambled to her feet and ran for the heavy walnut doors. She pulled them open and fled down the hallway, the sound of her expensive heels echoing frantically until she disappeared into the night.
The dining room was quiet once more. The tall ivory candles continued to burn, their wax dripping slowly onto the silver candelabras.
May you like
Adrian turned his broad shoulders and looked at the head of the table. Vera was looking at him, her dark, expressive brows drawn together in a mixture of awe and sheer terror. Henry had finally fallen asleep against her shoulder, completely exhausted by the adrenaline.
"Are you unharmed, Vera?" Adrian asked, his deep voice losing its lethal edge, returning to the quiet, measured tone that had first commanded the room.
