Chapter 8
Damon dropped to one knee, catching his son perfectly as the boy threw his small arms around his broad shoulders. He buried his face in Leo's soft curls, closing his eyes tightly, inhaling the innocent scent of his child amidst a world of violence.
"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here," Damon murmured, his deep voice thick with emotion. "You are completely safe."
"Is Auntie Camille coming back, Daddy?" Leo whispered, his voice trembling with the residual fear of the evening's chaos. "I don't like her."
"Never," Damon said fiercely, pulling back to look directly into his son's eyes. "You are my entire world, Leo. No one will ever hurt you or the people you love again. The woman who did those things is gone. She will never, ever step foot in this house again. I promise you."
Leo sniffled, nodding slowly as he accepted his father's absolute certainty. "Elise said you wouldn't let the bad lady hurt us. She said you are strong."
Damon looked up. Elise was standing quietly by the armchair, her graceful posture a testament to her quiet strength. She had risked severe psychological injury and physical danger every day under Camille's tyrannical reign, silently absorbing the abuse to protect his child. She had given Leo the courage to walk again.
"Elise is very smart," Damon said softly, keeping his dark eyes locked on the beautiful maid. "And incredibly brave. We owe her a great deal."
Damon stood up, gently lifting Leo and placing him back onto the center of the massive bed. He pulled the heavy duvet up to his son’s chin, pressing a lingering, fiercely protective kiss to the boy's forehead.
"Try to sleep, Leo," Damon said, his deep voice a soothing rumble. "I will be right outside the door, and my guards are watching the hallway. Nothing can get to you tonight. You are entirely safe in this room."
"Okay, Daddy," Leo whispered sleepily, his eyes already fluttering shut as the exhaustion of the evening finally took hold of his small body. "Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Elise."
"Goodnight, my sweet boy," Elise whispered back, her voice thick with emotion.
Once Leo’s eyes remained closed and his breathing evened out, Damon gestured for Elise to follow him toward the adjacent private sitting room. They stepped through the archway, the heavy velvet drapes muffling the sounds of the mansion. The natural, cinematic lighting of the sitting room highlighted the sheer exhaustion in Elise's delicate features. She kept her head slightly bowed, maintaining the submissive posture expected of a maid, but Damon stepped directly into her line of sight, forcing her to look up.
"Why didn't you tell me, Elise?" Damon asked, his voice a low, controlled murmur. "When Camille started destroying your peace, threatening you, and terrorizing my son, why didn't you come to me immediately?"
Elise met his gaze, her expressive eyes shining with unshed tears. "Because I know what the Voss alliance means to your syndicate, Mr. Ashford. If I complained, I knew you would be forced to reprimand her. I didn't want to be the reason you went to war over a maid. And... she threatened my life."
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Damon studied her face. He gently reached out, carefully placing a hand near her shoulder, acknowledging the heartbreaking terror she had suffered. He felt a profound, burning disgust for his own blindness. In a world full of hardened killers and corrupt politicians, this young woman possessed more integrity and loyalty than his entire inner circle combined.
"You endured unimaginable cruelty to protect my political standing," Damon said slowly, the artistic tattoos on his hands flexing. "You risked everything to keep my family safe from a monster I invited into this house. I owe you a debt I can never fully repay."
