Chapter 3
The crackling of the ornate marble fireplace was the only sound that dared to interrupt the heavy, suffocating silence of the dining hall. Sabrina’s face, previously flushed with wine and the triumph of the evening, drained of all color until her rosy skin turned the shade of ash. Her diamond earrings trembled slightly as a subtle, uncontrollable shake took over her body.
Blaine did not break eye contact with her. He slowly raised his free hand, resting his tattooed knuckles on the polished walnut table. The silence stretched until it became agonizing, the elite guests holding their collective breath.
"Are you all waiting for my permission to leave the room?" Blaine asked, his deep, low voice echoing across the long table. He didn't look at the guests; his cold eyes remained entirely fixed on his fiancée.
The question was a direct command. Instantly, the scraping of velvet dining chairs against the hardwood floor sounded like thunder. Dozens of capos, crime bosses, and politicians scrambled to their feet, abandoning their fine porcelain plates and crystal stemware. They moved with a hurried, terrified silence, practically sprinting toward the heavy silk curtains and the grand double doors of the dining room. No one offered their goodbyes or dared to look back at the unfolding disaster.
Within two minutes, the massive, luxurious room was entirely empty, save for the four of them: Blaine, Sabrina, Annelise, and Cody. The heavy mahogany doors clicked shut, echoing with a hollow finality.
"Blaine, darling, please," Sabrina whispered, her voice cracking as the reality of her isolation set in. She reached out across the table, her engagement ring flashing in the candlelight. "The boy is confused. He's been down in the dark for weeks. His mind is playing tricks on him! You know how vivid a child's imagination can be!"
Blaine slowly lowered his hand from the table. He tightened his protective grip on Cody's shoulders, keeping the boy shielded against his side.
"Do you believe a child's imagination can manifest heavy iron keys from my secure office?" Blaine asked. His measured pauses carried the weight of a death sentence.
"The staff must have left them out!" Sabrina stammered, pulling her hand back as if the table had burned her. "Annelise probably hid him down there! She’s manipulating you! She hates me! She’s been trying to ruin this engagement since the day I moved in! She wants your money, Blaine!"
Annelise stood her ground, though her knees felt weak. She kept her hands folded over her white apron, refusing to defend herself against the hysterical accusations. The truth was already standing in the room, clutching his father's suit; it didn't need her protection.
"Do you think I am blind to the terror in my own son's eyes when he looks at you?" Blaine asked, stepping slowly around the edge of the table, his broad shoulders dominating the space. "Is locking a child in a tomb the only way you could secure a ring?"
"It wasn't like that!" Sabrina shrieked, losing her aristocratic composure entirely. "He was always whining! Always interrupting our evenings! I just wanted you to realize how much you needed me! I was the one comforting you!"
"Did you comfort me while my son screamed for me in the dark beneath our feet?" Blaine asked, taking another slow, deliberate step toward her.
"You need me!" Sabrina sobbed, real tears of panic finally spilling over her cheeks as she backed away, her satin gown catching on a velvet chair. "My family brought you the southern shipping routes! We built an empire together! If you touch me, my father will start a war that will burn this city to the ground!"
"Do you think the threat of a war frightens me more than the monster who tortured my blood?" Blaine inquired, tilting his head slightly, the cold, perceptive eyes narrowing into dark, lethal slits.
May you like
He didn't wait for her to process the absolute lack of mercy in his gaze. He reached into the inner pocket of his tailored dark suit, his refined hand tattoos catching the golden light, and withdrew a heavy, encrypted mobile phone.
"Are you waiting in the grand foyer, Marcus?" Blaine asked into the receiver. He paused, listening to his underboss. "Will you bring two men into the dining room immediately?"
