Chapter 10
He lowered the phone and looked at the broken socialite one last time.
"Have you finally realized the price of your ambition, Scarlett?" Julian asked softly, as the heavy mahogany doors of the dining salon burst open.
Vincent and another massive security guard in dark suits entered the room. They marched forward without a word, hauling Scarlett roughly to her feet. She shrieked, thrashing wildly against their iron grip, but they were unyielding.
"You will regret this, Julian!" she screamed as they dragged her backward toward the doors. "You will all burn for this!"
"Will you convey my deepest regards to your father when I send him the pieces of his syndicate?" Julian asked quietly, watching the doors slam shut.
The profound, ringing silence of the grand dining salon settled heavily over the remaining three figures. The cascading crystal chandeliers continued to cast their warm golden light over the abandoned crystal glasses and the towering Christmas tree. The opulent space, designed for celebration, now felt entirely different—it was a sanctuary of retribution.
Julian stood silently for a moment, his broad shoulders rising and falling with a slow, controlled breath. The betrayal was absolute, the upcoming syndicate war with Scarlett’s father inevitable, but the immediate, toxic sickness within his home had been surgically removed. Now, he had to secure his son and the woman who had suffered to protect him.
He turned his body, pivoting seamlessly on the polished marble floors, and focused his entire attention back on Molly and Ben.
Molly had finally collapsed into the plush velvet dining chair, her exhausted body unable to hold her upright any longer. Her beautiful features were pale, her eyes still puffy and red from her earlier tears, and her disheveled hair fell loosely around her face. She kept a protective arm wrapped around Ben, who was leaning against her creased black dress.
Julian crouched down, his tailored suit shifting, and looked his son in the eye.
"Are you unharmed, Ben?" Julian asked, his deep voice softening significantly, losing its lethal, interrogative edge.
Ben looked at the towering mafia boss, his innocent eyes wide. "I'm okay, Daddy. Is Mommy going to be okay? She was really hungry."
"She is going to be perfectly fine, Ben," Julian murmured, his thumb gently brushing his son's cheek. "You are a very brave boy. You helped us find the truth."
He stood back up and shifted his gaze to Molly.
The beautiful housemaid was watching him, her exhausted eyes drawn together in quiet empathy. She had endured literal starvation and psychological torment simply because she had earned the affection of a motherless child. The fierce, gentle loyalty she had displayed was a rare, precious commodity in Julian's dark, violent world.
"Vincent will bring a hot meal directly to the secure wing," Julian stated, his voice a low, gravelly command laced with profound affection. "From this moment forward, you answer to no one but me. You are no longer a maid in this house."
Molly’s breath hitched. The magnitude of the offer, and the safety it provided, was overwhelming. The warm, golden light of the chandeliers caught the fresh tears welling in her eyes, this time born of absolute relief.
"Thank you, Julian," Molly whispered.
Before Julian could respond, the heavy mahogany doors of the dining room burst open again. A bloodied security operative stumbled into the room, gasping for breath, his dark suit torn and dusted with plaster.
"Is the perimeter breached?" Julian asked, spinning around, his hand already reaching for the concealed weapon beneath his vest.
"Yes, Boss!" the operative choked out. "The Vane syndicate didn't wait! Scarlett's personal guards got a signal out before we disarmed them! They hit the outer gates!"
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Julian looked back at Molly, his cold, perceptive eyes burning with an unyielding, protective fire.
"Shall we show them exactly what it costs to threaten my family?" Julian asked the quiet room, racking the slide of his handgun with a sharp, metallic clatter as the estate's high-pitched security sirens began to wail, signaling the beginning of a brutal mafia war.
