Chapter 6
The night air was crisp and cool as Dominic and Elara stepped out of the mansion and into the sprawling, illuminated courtyard. A fleet of sleek, black SUVs idled aggressively on the cobblestone driveway. The mansion’s exterior lighting cast soft golden highlights across the vehicles, contrasting sharply with the violent purpose of the men loading heavy weaponry into the trunks.
Dominic, his thick, wavy hair catching the wind, guided Elara toward the lead SUV. He opened the heavy armored door for her, his masculine presence offering a shield against the chaos of the mobilizing mafia soldiers. Elara climbed into the plush leather interior, her sophisticated maid dress feeling incredibly out of place in the war machine. She clutched the baby blanket tightly against her chest.
Dominic slid in beside her, pulling the door shut. The interior of the car was bathed in the warm, ambient glow of the dashboard lights, perfectly revealing their fair, rosy skin. The driver, a broad-shouldered enforcer, immediately threw the vehicle into gear, leading the convoy out of the massive iron gates.
The ride was agonizingly tense. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows as they sped toward the industrial district. Elara stared out the window, her mind racing with horrific images of Ivy crying in a cold, unfamiliar crib.
Dominic reached across the center console, his heavily tattooed fingers gently covering her small, delicate hand. Elara looked at him, finding immense comfort in his highly angular face and sharply defined jaw.
“Why did you agree to marry her in the first place, Dominic?” Elara asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. It was a question that had haunted her for months.
Dominic looked at her, his eyes heavy with regret. “Did you not know that the Hart syndicate threatened to slaughter half my lieutenants if I refused the alliance?” he asked quietly. “Do you think I would have ever allowed that woman to wear my ring if I had another choice to prevent a war?”
Elara looked down at their joined hands. “I just... I felt so invisible. I was just the maid who brought you tea, and she was the beautiful heiress in the satin gowns.”
Dominic shifted closer, his broad shoulders brushing against hers. “Have you ever been invisible to me, Elara?” he asked, his deep voice filled with absolute sincerity. “Do you not remember the nights I sat in the nursery with you, watching our daughter sleep, wishing I could burn this entire empire to the ground just to live a quiet life with the two of you?”
Elara’s breath hitched. Tears pooled in her expressive eyes again. “I was so scared, Dominic. When Selene took her this morning... I thought I had lost everything.”
“Did you truly believe I would let anyone take away the only light I have ever found in this dark life?” Dominic asked, lifting her hand and pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to her knuckles.
Before Elara could respond, the driver spoke up.
“Boss, we’re approaching the perimeter of St. Jude’s,” the driver announced, his voice tight. “The front gates are locked, and I’m seeing armed guards on the walls. It’s a fortress.”
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Dominic’s romantic tenderness vanished in an instant, replaced by the cold, calculating mind of a mafia boss.
“Are the front bumpers of these vehicles reinforced with steel for a reason, driver?” Dominic asked.
