Chapter 6
The mansion was placed on immediate lockdown. Heavy steel shutters dropped over the windows, securing the perimeter, while Victor’s most trusted enforcers swept the grounds. The warm golden light of the chandeliers remained, but the atmosphere had shifted from a celebration to a war council.
After ensuring Miles was safely tucked into his bed with a heavy dose of painkillers and a hot meal, Victor returned to the main floor. He walked into his private study, a room lined with dark wood bookshelves and leather armchairs. Eva was already there, meticulously cleaning the spilled ash from the fireplace. Her white ruffled maid headband remained perfectly in place, though the exhaustion was evident in her careful gestures.
Victor closed the heavy oak doors behind him. He stepped into the room, his physical presence commanding the space. He watched her for a moment, admiring the graceful curve of her back and the cinched waist of her sophisticated maid dress.
"Is it necessary for you to clean the ashes at this hour, Eva?" Victor asked, his deep, low voice startling her slightly.
Eva turned around, her expressive eyes wide. She wiped her hands on a cloth, her delicate features bathed in the ambient light of the desk lamp. "I... I just needed something to do with my hands. To stop them from shaking."
Victor walked slowly toward her, his polished leather shoes making no sound against the thick Persian rug. He stopped just inches away, his broad shoulders casting a protective shadow over her.
"Are you terrified of what happened tonight?" Victor asked, looking down into her face.
Eva nodded slowly, her fair skin pale. "She is a very powerful woman, Victor. Her family will not let this go. They will come for you. And if they find out I was the one who opened the door..."
"Do you honestly believe I would ever allow a single member of the Wren family to lay a hand on you?" Victor asked, raising his tattooed hand. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before gently brushing a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear.
Eva’s breath hitched at the contact. The quiet mutual affection they had harbored for months was finally breaking through the rigid boundaries of their stations. She looked up at him, her vulnerability fully exposed.
"I am just a maid, Victor," Eva whispered, her American accent trembling. "Wars are not fought over people like me."
"Do you think I measure your worth by the uniform you wear?" Victor asked, his thumb gently tracing the line of her jaw. "Have I not spent every single evening searching this crowded mansion just to catch a glimpse of your eyes?"
Eva closed her eyes, leaning into his warm palm. A single tear escaped, sliding down her rosy cheek. "I thought you were going to marry her. I thought I was going to have to watch you stand at the altar with a monster."
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"Did you think I was blind to the darkness in her, or simply waiting for the right moment to cut it out?" Victor asked softly. "Will you stay by my side while I finish tearing her roots out of my home?"
"I will never leave you," Eva answered, looking up at him with fierce, undeniable loyalty.
