Chapter 9
The silence in the opulent room was broken only by the soft, ragged breathing of the six-year-old boy. Owen slid off his chair, his little navy suit wrinkled, and ran across the cream marble floor.
"Daddy!" Owen cried out, tears streaming down his rosy cheeks.
Walter Merrick stood up from the velvet chair as fast as his exhausted body would allow. He dropped to his knees, throwing his arms open, completely ignoring the stunned mafia guests surrounding them.
"Owen," Walter sobbed, burying his face in his son's shoulder, pulling the boy into a fierce, desperate embrace. "I'm here, buddy. I'm right here. I'm never leaving you again."
The raw, unfiltered emotion of the reunion brought a profound stillness to the room. The capos and politicians, hardened men who dealt in violence and extortion every day, looked away, giving the father and son a rare moment of privacy amidst the chaos.
Elise stood a few feet away, her hands folded tightly over her white apron. Tears flowed freely from her expressive eyes, tracking down her fair face. She had risked her life, her position, and her future by bringing Walter into the house, but seeing the little boy holding his father made every second of terror entirely worth it.
She felt a large, warm presence step up beside her.
Damian stood incredibly close, his broad shoulders shielding her from the stares of the room. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a clean linen handkerchief. Without a word, he gently pressed it into her trembling hands.
"Are you unharmed, Elise?" Damian asked, his deep voice softening into a quiet, intimate register meant only for her.
"I am fine, Mr. Crowne," Elise whispered, dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief. "I... I am so sorry for interrupting the banquet. I didn't know what else to do."
"Do you believe I would rather dine with a murderer than face the truth?" Damian asked, his observant eyes searching her delicate features. "You took a massive risk tonight, Elise. She could have had her men kill you before you ever reached the dining hall."
"I couldn't let him freeze out there," she answered honestly, looking up at his handsome, angular face. "He was so desperate. And Owen... Owen deserved to know his father was alive."
"Do you realize that by exposing her, you have saved my life from a woman who would have eventually poisoned my cup?" Damian inquired, a flicker of profound, protective warmth entering his cold eyes.
"I just did what I thought was right," she breathed, her heart fluttering at the intensity of his gaze.
"Silas," Damian called out, turning his attention back to the room. "Have a secure car brought to the front entrance. Arrange for a full protective detail to escort Mr. Merrick and his son back to their estate. They are under the absolute protection of this family from this moment forward."
"Right away, Boss," Silas nodded, moving quickly toward the exits.
Walter stood up, holding Owen securely in his arms. The older man looked at Damian, a deep, weary respect in his eyes.
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"I don't have the words to thank you, Mr. Crowne," Walter said, his voice gravelly. "You didn't have to listen to me."
"Do you think a man who fights the ocean to return to his son deserves anything less than the truth?" Damian asked, offering a slight, respectful nod. "Go home, Walter. Your wife will never trouble you again."
