Chapter 5
The crackling of the ornate marble fireplace was the only sound that dared to interrupt the heavy silence of the dining room. Lucinda leaned against the edge of the polished walnut table, her chest heaving beneath her sculpted satin gown. The reality of Dorian's quiet, devastating questions was sinking in, dismantling her entire future piece by piece.
"You can't do this," Lucinda gasped, her voice trembling with a manic, desperate edge. "My father is the head of the Vale syndicate. We control the eastern ports, Dorian! If you throw me out tonight, if you break this engagement, it is a declaration of war! Do you want blood on your hands over a child's misunderstanding?"
Dorian shifted Caleb slightly on his hip, the tailored fabric of his three-piece suit pulling tight across his powerful shoulders. His refined hand tattoos flexed as he gently covered his son's ear, shielding the boy from the venom of the woman across the table.
"Do you believe the threat of your father's men frightens me, Lucinda?" Dorian asked, his cold eyes narrowing into dark, lethal slits.
"He will burn this mansion to the ground!" Lucinda screamed, her composure entirely shattered. She ripped the massive diamond engagement ring from her finger and threw it violently across the room. It clattered against the ivory-paneled walls and spun onto the floor, coming to a rest near Esme’s polished shoes. "You need us! You are nothing without the eastern ports!"
"Am I?" Dorian inquired softly.
He did not raise his voice. He didn't even flinch when the ring hit the wall. He simply looked at her with an unwavering stare that promised absolute ruin.
"Will you walk out of my home on your own two feet, or shall I have my guards carry you out by your hair?" Dorian asked.
Lucinda froze. The utter lack of hesitation in his voice, the chilling calmness of his demeanor, broke whatever fight she had left. She was staring into the eyes of a monster she had foolishly thought she could domesticate.
"You're a dead man, Dorian," Lucinda whispered, her voice cracking.
"Is that a promise, or merely a wish?" Dorian asked.
Lucinda didn't answer. She turned on her heel, her satin gown swirling around her, and practically ran toward the heavy silk curtains, disappearing into the foyer. A moment later, the heavy thud of the front doors slamming shut echoed through the vast estate.
The grand dining room, filled with the scent of white roses and the soft glow of tall candles, was suddenly quiet. The war had just begun, but the immediate battlefield was silent.
Esme stood frozen, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She looked down at the discarded diamond ring near her feet, then slowly looked up at the towering mafia boss holding his son.
"Is she gone, Dad?" Caleb whispered, slowly pulling his face away from Dorian's neck.
"Would I ever let her near you again?" Dorian asked softly, looking down at his son.
Caleb sniffled, looking down at the three coins still clutched in his small hand. He tentatively held them out toward his father again. "Do I still have to pay you?"
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Dorian closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, the sharply defined lines of his jaw tightening in absolute agony. He gently pushed Caleb's small hand back toward his chest.
"Have you not already paid enough, Caleb?" Dorian asked.
