Chapter 10
Adrian 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 Serena’s father inevitable, and the blood feud with his own brother now officially declared. But the immediate, toxic sickness within his home had been surgically removed. Now, he had to secure his son and the woman who had risked everything to expose the truth.
He turned his body, pivoting seamlessly on the polished marble floors, and focused his entire attention back on Clara and Finn.
Clara was still standing close beside him, her hands trembling as she held tightly to Finn's tiny fingers. Her beautiful features were pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of residual terror and profound, protective relief. She looked up at the towering mafia boss, her breathing shallow and ragged.
Adrian crouched down, his tailored suit shifting smoothly. He looked his three-year-old son in the eye, keeping his large, tattooed hands steady.
"Are you unharmed, Finn?" Adrian asked, his deep voice softening significantly, losing its lethal, interrogative edge.
Finn looked at his father, his round rosy cheeks lifting into a soft, relieved smile. "I'm okay, Daddy. Did Auntie go to timeout?"
"She did, sweetheart," Adrian murmured, his thumb gently brushing his son's soft curls. "You are a very brave boy. You helped us find the truth."
He stood back up and shifted his gaze to Clara.
The beautiful housemaid was watching him, her exhausted eyes drawn together in quiet empathy. She had endured psychological terror and the threat of her mother's murder simply because she had witnessed a treasonous act. The fierce, gentle loyalty she had displayed in holding his son's hand was a rare, precious commodity in Adrian's dark, violent world.
"My men are already en route to the charity clinic," Adrian stated, his voice a low, gravelly command laced with profound affection. "Your mother will be transferred to the private medical wing of this estate tonight. She will have the best care in the world, and she will be perfectly safe."
Clara’s breath hitched. The magnitude of the offer, and the absolute 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, Adrian," Clara whispered, the formality dropping away in the quiet intimacy of the room.
"You are no longer a maid in this house," Adrian continued, stepping closer, his imposing frame casting a protective shadow over her. "From this moment forward, you answer to no one but me. You will move into the secure wing tonight with Finn."
Before Clara could respond, the heavy mahogany doors of the salon burst open again. A bloodied security operative stumbled into the room, gasping for breath.
"Is the perimeter breached?" Adrian asked, spinning around, his hand already reaching for the concealed weapon beneath his vest.
"Yes, Boss!" the operative choked out. "The Vale syndicate didn't wait! Evan is with them! They bypassed the outer gates! We have multiple hostiles in the main foyer!"
May you like
Adrian looked back at Clara, his cold, perceptive eyes burning with an unyielding, protective fire.
"Shall we show them exactly what it costs to threaten my family?" Adrian 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 brutal beginning of a mafia war. Hold the final silence.
