Chapter 5
The guards moved with swift, silent precision, surrounding Selene in a tight circle. The bright, clear lighting of the banquet hall glinted off the polished barrels of their weapons. Selene screamed, thrashing against the men as they grabbed the delicate satin of her sculpted gown, completely disregarding her status.
“Dominic! You promised!” Selene shrieked, her diamond earrings swinging wildly. “I told you where she is! You can’t hold me hostage! My father will kill you!”
Dominic stood by the head table, completely unbothered by her hysterical threats. He reached down and picked up Elara’s serving tray, moving it aside to create space.
“Have I ever made a promise of mercy to a woman who threatened the life of my child?” Dominic asked, his voice cutting through the noise. “Will you men secure her in the basement holding cells and ensure she has no access to a telephone?”
“Yes, Boss,” the lead guard responded. They dragged Selene backward toward the service doors. Her screams echoed off the gilded ceiling moldings and the marble fireplace until the heavy doors slammed shut, plunging the dining room back into a heavy, ringing silence.
Elara let out a long, shuddering breath. Her knees finally gave out, and she collapsed into one of the champagne velvet chairs, burying her face in the soft baby blanket. She wept openly, the emotional toll of the evening crashing down on her delicate frame. Her sophisticated black maid dress rustled as her shoulders shook.
Dominic walked over to her immediately. He knelt on the polished hardwood floor, indifferent to the creases it might cause in his expensive trousers. He reached out, gently wrapping his large, tattooed hands around her trembling ones.
“Are you strong enough to take a ride with me to the north edge of the city, Elara?” Dominic asked softly, his eyes filled with quiet romantic feelings he no longer needed to hide.
Elara looked up, her expressive eyes red from crying, but a fierce, maternal fire burned within them. She nodded, sniffing and wiping her fair, rosy cheeks with the back of her hand. “I’m ready. I have to get her. I have to see her.”
“Do you think I would let you go alone?” Dominic asked, rising to his feet and gently pulling her up with him.
He kept her hand firmly in his. The warmth of his grip grounded her. For months, they had danced around their feelings—stolen glances in the hallways, quiet conversations in the library when the house was asleep, and the secret, beautiful conception of their daughter. Dominic had known about Ivy, had provided the nursery and the protection, but the political reality of his engagement to Selene had kept them apart in public.
Tonight, that charade was dead.
“Will you wait for me by the front gates while I mobilize the strike team?” Dominic asked.
May you like
“You’re bringing a strike team?” Elara asked, her eyes widening in alarm. “To an orphanage?”
“Do you believe an orphanage run by the Hart syndicate’s associates is anything less than a heavily fortified prison?” Dominic asked grimly. “Shall we go and tear it to the ground together?”
