Chapter 10
"I knew the risks," Ada whispered, looking up into his incredibly handsome, masculine face. "But I also knew you would listen to the truth. You are not a man who can be blinded by lies for long."
Dominic’s breath hitched. He looked at her delicate features, the expressive eyes that had watched him with quiet devotion for the past two years. The artificial boundaries of their stations seemed entirely irrelevant in the wake of the night's violent revelations.
"You are a remarkably brave woman, Ada," Dominic murmured, stepping closer, closing the distance between them until he could feel the warmth radiating from her skin.
"I am just a maid," Ada said, though she did not step back, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"You are the only woman in this house I trust," Dominic corrected softly. He raised his hand, the artistic tattoos stark against her fair, rosy cheek, and gently wiped away a stray tear she hadn't realized she was shedding.
The air between them crackled with the heavy, unspoken tension they had ignored for years. Dominic leaned in, his intent clear, drawn by the desperate need to find a single source of genuine comfort in a world built on betrayal and violence.
Before their lips could meet, a frantic, heavy pounding echoed down the grand staircase.
Dominic pulled back instantly, the romantic vulnerability vanishing as the cold, calculating mask of the mafia boss slammed back into place. His hand dropped to the heavy pistol holstered beneath his tailored suit jacket.
Silas, his lead enforcer, sprinted down the corridor, his face pale and grim under the bright cinematic lighting.
"Boss, we have a massive problem," Silas reported, his chest heaving. "It's the Shaw family. Estelle must have gotten a message out before we dragged her to the basement."
"Are they demanding negotiations?" Dominic asked, his voice a lethal, terrifying calm.
"No, sir. They aren't talking," Silas said, checking the magazine of his weapon. "We just got word from the perimeter guards. A convoy of heavily armored, unmarked vehicles has breached the southern gates. They are heavily armed, and they are moving aggressively toward the main house."
Dominic’s eyes darkened to pitch. The immediate threat of Estelle was neutralized, but the war she had promised had arrived at his doorstep far faster than anticipated. He looked at Ada, the protective instinct surging through his veins with terrifying force.
"Go back inside with Luca," Dominic commanded, his voice absolute. "Lock the door and do not open it for anyone except me."
"Dominic, please be careful," Ada pleaded, grabbing his sleeve.
May you like
"I will come back for you," Dominic promised, pressing a brief, fierce kiss to her forehead.
He didn't wait for her to answer. He turned on his heel and strode rapidly down the corridor, his tailored suit cutting a formidable silhouette against the bright lights, heading directly into the impending slaughter to defend his empire and the woman he loved.
