Chapter 4
The heavy mahogany doors of Harrison’s private study clicked shut, severing them from the chaotic murmurs of the reception. The room was a fortress of dark wood, towering bookshelves, and a massive stone fireplace where a fire crackled fiercely. Harrison guided Lena to a plush leather armchair near the hearth, waiting until she sank into the cushions before he exhaled a heavy, ragged breath.
Archie immediately climbed onto the thick rug by the fire, pulling a small wooden train from his pocket, blissfully oblivious to the tectonic plates shifting in his father's criminal empire.
Harrison walked over to a crystal decanter on a side table. He poured two fingers of amber liquid, downed it in a single swallow, and then turned to face Lena. The imposing mafia boss looked shaken, a rare vulnerability cracking his hardened exterior.
"Five months," Harrison began, his voice a low, raspy whisper. He crossed the room and knelt directly in front of her chair, his tailored trousers brushing the floor. "You were carrying my child for five months, Lena. Why didn't you come to me?"
Lena looked down at her hands, tears finally spilling over her fair, rosy cheeks. "I tried. The day I found out, I waited outside your office. But Celeste was there. She told me she already knew."
"What exactly did she say?" Harrison demanded, his dark eyes burning with a fierce, protective intensity.
"She said you ordered her to handle it," Lena sobbed quietly, clutching the rumpled fabric of her white apron. "She said you were disgusted. That a man in your position couldn't have a child with the help. She told me if I ever tried to speak to you, or if I tried to run away, her family’s men would track me down and cut the baby out of me."
Harrison closed his eyes, his head dropping as a violent curse escaped his lips. The artistic tattoos on his hands stood out starkly as his fists clenched with white-knuckled rage.
"I believed her," Lena whispered. "Because after that day, you stopped looking at me. You stopped coming to the west wing. You announced the engagement to her."
"I stopped coming because I thought you wanted nothing to do with me," Harrison confessed, opening his eyes to meet hers. The pain in his gaze was raw and agonizing. "The morning after we were together, Celeste told me you were terrified of my world. She said you begged for a transfer to the kitchens to stay away from me. I thought I was respecting your wishes. I engaged Celeste strictly for the cartel alliance. It was never about love."
Lena’s breath hitched. "She orchestrated all of it. To keep us apart."
"And I was too blind to see it," Harrison said bitterly. He reached out, his large hands gently enveloping hers. "I am so sorry, Lena. I swear on my life, I never said those things. I would burn this entire city down before I let anyone touch you or our child."
"What happens now?" Lena asked, looking at his signet ring. "Arthur Wren won't accept this humiliation. They are going to come for you."
"Let them come," Harrison said, his jaw setting into a rigid, dangerous line. He moved his hand from hers and placed it gently, reverently, over her five-month bump. "You are not a maid anymore, Lena. You are the mother of my child. You belong to me, and I protect what is mine."
May you like
Archie looked up from his train, offering a bright, dimpled smile. "Daddy's baby is safe now?"
Harrison looked at his son, then back at Lena, a fierce, unwavering vow settling over his features. "Yes, Archie. Daddy's baby is safe."
