Chapter 5
The grand dining room felt suffocatingly small as Claudia’s true, venomous nature spilled out into the golden light. The mask of the elegant, loving fiancée had completely burned away, leaving a desperate, vicious woman backed into a corner.
"You're making a massive mistake, Damon," Claudia hissed, her hands gripping the edge of the walnut table so tightly her knuckles turned white. "My family's men are stationed around your perimeter right now. If I walk out of here crying, the Voss syndicate will burn this mansion to the ground."
Damon stood perfectly still, his hands resting casually in the pockets of his tailored trousers. The loose strands of hair over his forehead cast sharp shadows across his cold, perceptive eyes.
"Am I supposed to tremble at the mention of your father's foot soldiers, Claudia?" Damon asked, a dark, mocking edge creeping into his deep voice.
Before Claudia could answer, the heavy oak doors to the dining hall pushed open. Thomas, Damon’s towering head of security, stepped into the room. He took one look at the shattered crystal on the floor and the weeping boy in the maid's arms, and his hand rested instinctively on the firearm concealed beneath his jacket.
"Is everything secure outside, Thomas?" Damon asked, not taking his eyes off his fiancée.
"The perimeter is quiet, sir," Thomas replied in a low, gravelly voice. "The guests have departed. Only the Voss family guards remain at the front gates, awaiting Miss Voss."
Damon gave a slow, barely perceptible nod. He looked down at Lena, who was still kneeling on the polished marble floor, shielding Eli from the tension.
"Will you take Eli up to the safe room, Lena?" Damon asked gently. "Will you ensure he gets something warm to drink?"
Lena looked up at him, her softly oval face pale but incredibly resolute. "Yes, Mr. Kingsley. Come on, Eli."
She stood, taking the boy's small hand in hers. Eli looked up at his father, his eyes wide and fearful.
"Am I in trouble, Dad?" Eli asked, his voice trembling.
"Have you ever been in trouble for protecting the people you love, Eli?" Damon asked, offering his son a rare, fiercely protective look.
Eli shook his head quickly and allowed Lena to lead him out of the room. Thomas stepped aside to let them pass, then stepped back in, locking the heavy oak doors from the inside.
Claudia watched them leave, her chest heaving in absolute panic. She was alone with the devil.
"Damon, we can negotiate this," Claudia stammered, frantically twisting the diamond engagement ring on her finger as if it were a talisman that could save her. "I'll leave the boy alone. I won't touch the staff. I'll just be your wife on paper for the alliance. Please."
"Did you think my son's peace of mind was a bargaining chip?" Damon asked softly, walking slowly toward her.
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"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Claudia cried out, pressing her back flush against the wall.
"If you didn't mean to hurt him, why did you weaponize his love for a housemaid?" Damon inquired, stopping directly in front of her, his immense presence casting a dark shadow over her sapphire gown.
