Chapter 7 - THE STORM BREAKSClara swallowed hard, stepping slightly in front of Noah to protect him, even though she knew she couldn't stop a charging bull if Dominic chose to explode.
"Yes, Mr. Vale," Clara said, her voice shaking but clear. "It wasn't a random accident. Your wife... she knew about the hostile takeover sabotage. They framed it as a roadside ambush. And Margaret... Margaret helped them from inside this house."
Dominic didn't shout. He didn't slam his fists against the wall.
Instead, he walked slowly into the room, his movements terrifyingly controlled. He knelt down on the plush carpet, coming face-to-face with his four-year-old son for the first time in two years without a barrier of anger, denial, or institutional advice standing between them.
Noah flinched, shrinking back into Clara’s side.
Dominic stopped. He didn't force the issue. He held up his massive hands, palms completely open, showing he had nothing to hide.
"I'm sorry, buddy," Dominic said, his voice cracking—a raw, broken sound that carried more grief than a thousand roars. "Daddy was blind. Daddy listened to the wrong people and left you fighting alone in the dark."
Noah stared at his father. The little boy’s lower lip quivered.
Slowly, cautiously, Noah let go of Clara’s shirt. He crawled forward across the rug, small knee by small knee, until he reached his father’s chest.
Dominic wrapped his massive arms around his son, burying his face in Noah’s dark hair, his shoulders shaking as the iron-willed billionaire finally broke down and wept. Noah didn't scream. He wrapped his small arms tightly around his father’s neck, burying his face in his shoulder, and let out a long, shuddering sigh of pure, profound relief.
When Dominic finally lifted his head, the grief in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a cold, merciless fury.
He stood up, taking the metal briefcase from Clara’s hands.
"Where is Margaret?" Clara asked, a sudden wave of dread washing over her. "She let Victor Vance into the house just a few minutes ago."
Dominic’s jaw tightened into a lethal line. "They think they've won. They think they're downstairs discussing how to eliminate the loose ends."
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He walked over to the nursery door and locked it from the outside with his master override code. He turned to Clara, his dark eyes burning with absolute determination.
"Lock this door. Do not open it for anyone except me," Dominic commanded. "Stay with my son. The storm is coming to the Vale estate tonight, Clara. And when it's over, nobody who hurt my family will ever draw an easy breath again."
