Chapter 5
"I love you, Adrian!" Camille wept, falling to her knees on the marble floor. "Please, darling! My father told me I needed to establish dominance over the household! He said your son needed to understand that the Wren family was in control now! I didn't want to hurt the dog! I just wanted the boy to respect me!"
"Did you believe that weaponizing the terror of an animal to traumatize a six-year-old would secure your place at the top of this empire?" Adrian asked, his voice dropping to a terrifying, gravelly whisper.
The luminous, airy warmth of the dining room offered no solace to the woman kneeling on the floor. Camille sobbed uncontrollably, her face buried in her manicured hands, her diamond engagement ring catching the bright light in a mocking display of failed ambition. The silence stretched, tight and unforgiving, broken only by her ragged, panicked weeping.
Holly remained on her knees beside Owen. The beautiful housemaid instinctively wrapped her arm around the young boy’s shoulders, pulling him securely against her fitted black maid dress. She shielded him from the sight of the broken socialite, her expressive eyes watching the mafia boss with a mixture of awe and profound, quiet devotion.
Adrian stood over Camille, an imposing monolith of masculine power. His polished leather shoes rested mere inches from the hem of her ruined emerald gown. He waited, his patience a weapon as sharp and precise as a scalpel.
"Are you prepared to remove the ring from your finger, or must I cut it from your hand?" Adrian asked, his deep voice carrying a measured, lethal calm.
Camille flinched violently at the threat. She dropped her hands, her fair skin streaked with ruined makeup, her eyes wide with primal terror. She knew the stories of what Adrian Blackwell did to traitors within his syndicate.
"You can't do this!" Camille choked out, the venom finally breaking through her tears as self-preservation took over. "My father is Victor Wren! He commands the eastern ports! He will burn your empire to the ground if you humiliate me like this!"
"Is your father a man who fights battles for foolish, cruel daughters?" Adrian asked quietly.
"He will kill you!" Camille pleaded, reaching out to grasp the leg of his tailored trousers. "I am going to be your wife, Adrian! We signed the contracts! You cannot back out now without causing a massive war!"
Adrian looked down at the trembling woman clinging to his leg. He felt absolutely nothing for her. The affection he had feigned for the sake of the syndicate merger evaporated instantly, leaving behind a cold, calculating void that craved only survival and absolute retribution.
"Do you expect me to harbor an animal abuser under my roof to appease a shipping magnate?" Adrian asked.
He didn't wait for her to answer. He reached down with his heavily tattooed hand and forcefully peeled her fingers off his suit. He stepped back, severing all physical contact with her forever.
"Is there any reason I shouldn't have my men escort you to the basement holding cells immediately?" Adrian inquired, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt with immaculate precision.
"Adrian, please, I have nowhere to go tonight!" Camille wept, crawling forward on her knees.
"Are the consequences of your cruelty my concern?" Adrian asked.
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He reached into his tailored jacket and retrieved a sleek, encrypted smartphone. He dialed a single digit and pressed the phone to his ear. The small artistic tattoo above his collar shifted seamlessly with the movement.
"Are my security details stationed at the outer doors?" Adrian asked into the receiver. "Will you come to the dining room and escort Miss Wren to the holding cells beneath the east wing immediately?"
