Chapter 16
News of the brutal incident at Pier 7 reached the estate before Dominic did. Elena was in the grand atrium, carefully using her left hand to help Lily arrange a massive jigsaw puzzle on the polished marble floor. The bright, natural skylight poured over them, creating an illusion of perfect safety.
When the heavy front doors swung open, Dominic walked in, followed by Silas. He looked flawless, his movie-star features completely relaxed, but the raw, violent energy clinging to him was palpable.
Lily abandoned the puzzle and ran to him. "Daddy!"
Dominic caught her effortlessly, his cold eyes softening instantly. "Hello, my little bird."
Elena stood up, smoothing her elegant day dress. She looked at the man who had just violently broken a labor strike with his bare hands. "Is everything alright, Dominic?"
"The docks are fully operational," Dominic replied smoothly, setting Lily down. "Silas, ensure the perimeter guards are doubled tonight. Arthur Sinclair is a coward, but cowards often hire desperate men."
That night, the tension in the estate was suffocating. Elena sat in her suite, staring out the window at the heavily illuminated grounds. The cast on her right arm throbbed, a phantom reminder of the violence that had brought her into this world.
She heard a soft knock on the connecting door to the nursery. She opened it to find Dominic standing there. He had removed his suit entirely, wearing only dark trousers and a simple black t-shirt that clung to his muscular frame, exposing the full extent of his artistic tattoos.
"Is she asleep?" Dominic asked softly.
"Yes," Elena whispered, stepping aside to let him see the sleeping child.
Dominic watched his daughter for a long moment, the harsh, angular lines of his jaw relaxing. He turned to Elena, his intimidating gaze locking onto her beautiful, heart-shaped face.
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"I have placed an armed guard outside your balcony," Dominic stated, his voice a low, vibrating hum in the quiet room. "If you hear anything, you take Lily into the panic room behind my study. You do not wait for me."
"I understand," Elena replied, her heart fluttering nervously under his intense scrutiny.
