Chapter 10
The guests practically scrambled to their feet, eager to distance themselves from the impending violence. Within ninety seconds, the expansive dining hall was completely empty, save for Rafael, Elodie, and Miles. The opulent space, designed for celebration, now felt entirely different—it was a war room preparing for a siege.
Rafael turned his body, his polished leather shoes pivoting on the marble floor, and focused his entire attention back on Elodie and his son.
Elodie was still sitting in the velvet dining chair, holding Miles securely against her black maid dress. The six-year-old boy had buried his face in the crook of her neck, his small body trembling from the shouting and the sudden violence of Sabrina’s removal. Elodie was gently stroking the child's hair, her softly oval face etched with deep, maternal relief despite the throbbing pain in her hand.
Rafael stopped beside them, his imposing, masculine frame casting a protective shadow over the housemaid and his son.
"Are you unharmed, Miles?" Rafael asked, his deep voice softening significantly, losing its lethal, interrogative edge.
Miles turned his head, his fair, rosy cheeks stained with fresh tears. He looked at the towering mafia boss, his eyes searching for reassurance. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Are you going to be mad at me?"
"Would I ever be angry with you for telling me the truth about that woman?" Rafael asked, reaching out to gently cup the boy’s cheek.
Miles sniffled, leaning into his father's large, tattooed hand. "No."
"Are you a brave boy?" Rafael asked, his thumb brushing away a tear.
"Yes," Miles nodded, his small chin trembling.
Rafael shifted his gaze to Elodie. The beautiful housemaid was watching him, her expressive eyes drawn together in quiet empathy. She had risked her job, her physical safety, and her life by exposing the cruelty and standing against the fiancée of a mafia boss. The fierce loyalty she had displayed was a rare, precious commodity in Rafael's dark, violent world.
"Does it require medical attention?" Rafael asked softly, gesturing to the white bandage on her hand.
"The chef taped it for me, sir. It is just bruised, I think," Elodie answered gently, her graceful posture unwavering. "I am perfectly fine."
"You are not fine, and you are no longer a maid in this house," Rafael stated, his voice a low, gravelly command laced with profound affection. "From this moment forward, you answer to no one but me. You will move into the secure wing tonight with Miles."
Elodie’s breath hitched. The magnitude of the offer, and the safety it provided, was overwhelming. "Thank you, Rafael."
Before Rafael could respond to the sound of his first name on her lips, the heavy oak doors of the dining room burst open again. A bloodied security operative stumbled into the room, gasping for breath.
"Is the perimeter breached?" Rafael asked, spinning around, his hand already reaching for the concealed weapon beneath his vest.
"Yes, Boss!" the operative choked out. "The Voss syndicate didn't wait! They are at the gates right now!"
May you like
Rafael looked back at Elodie, his cold, perceptive eyes burning with an unyielding, protective fire.
"Shall we show them exactly what it costs to threaten my family?" Rafael asked the quiet room, racking the slide of his handgun as the estate's high-pitched security sirens began to wail in the distance, signaling the terrifying beginning of a brutal mafia war.
