Chapter 5
It was late evening when Tessa finally dragged herself upward through the heavy layers of drug-induced sleep. The room was dark, save for the soft, amber glow of a single bedside lamp. She blinked, her vision slowly clearing, and panicked immediately at the unfamiliar surroundings. She was wrapped in silk sheets, lying in a bed large enough for three people.
"Where am I?" Tessa croaked, her throat dry and raw.
She instinctively tried to sit up, but a large, warm hand gently pressed against her shoulder, stopping her.
"You are safe. Don't move too quickly," a deep, resonant voice commanded softly.
Tessa turned her head. Julian Mercer was sitting in a velvet wingback chair drawn close to the side of the bed. He had discarded his waistcoat; his crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the small neck tattoo. The harsh, imposing aura he carried in the underworld was entirely absent, replaced by a vigilant, protective warmth.
"Mr. Mercer," Tessa gasped, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked down at herself, realizing she was no longer in her maid's uniform, but in a soft, oversized cotton shirt. "I... I need to get back to work. Vivienne..."
"Vivienne is gone," Julian interrupted, his voice firm but incredibly gentle. He poured a glass of water from a pitcher on the nightstand and helped her sit up just enough to drink it. "She will never step foot in this house again. You are in my private guest suite, Tessa. No one can hurt you here."
Tessa drank greedily, the cool water soothing her parched throat. She leaned back against the plush pillows, her clear, expressive eyes welling with tears as the memories of the past three days crashed over her.
"She said if I stopped working, she would have me thrown out into the snow," Tessa whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "She said if I told you, she would make sure I never saw Rosie again."
Julian’s jaw tightened, a flash of pure, murderous rage darkening his eyes before he carefully banked it. He reached out, his tattooed fingers gently wiping the tear from her cheek.
"I am so sorry I didn't see what she was doing," Julian said, his voice thick with guilt. "I was blind to the poison in my own home. But I swear to you on my life, Tessa, no one will ever lay a hand on you again."
"Why did you do it?" Tessa asked, her voice trembling as she looked at him. "You broke an alliance. The staff talks... the Shaws are powerful. You went to war for me?"
"I went to war because a monster was torturing the woman who loves my daughter," Julian replied, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that stole her breath. "And because I realized that the thought of you being hurt tore me apart."
Tessa’s breath hitched. The boundary between employer and employee had been violently erased, leaving them in a strange, uncharted territory.
"I'm just a maid, Julian," she whispered, using his first name for the first time.
"You are not a maid anymore," Julian declared, leaning closer, the heat of his body radiating toward her. "You are under my personal protection. You are family now."
Before Tessa could process the heavy implication of his words, the heavy oak doors burst open. Rosie ran into the room, holding her star-shaped cushion, followed closely by a breathless guard.
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"Mommy!" Rosie cheered, scrambling up onto the massive bed and throwing her small arms around Tessa’s neck.
Julian smiled, a rare, genuine expression that transformed his rugged face, as Tessa buried her face in the toddler's soft curls. The war outside was raging, but inside this room, Julian had found exactly what he was fighting for.
