Chapter 1 - The Iron and the Ash
The upper floor of the Valente estate did not feel like a home; it felt like a mausoleum constructed of wealth and silence. Adrienne walked down the corridor carrying Mia as if she were a fragile porcelain artifact that a single misstep could shatter. His Doberman, Rex, padded silently behind them, his claws clicking rhythmically against the Italian marble until they reached the east wing.
Elena, Mia’s mother, was standing outside her quarters wringing her hands so hard her knuckles were stark white. When she turned and saw the syndicate boss holding her daughter—dust on his immaculate trousers, the child’s tear-stained face buried in his shoulder—she let out a sharp gasp, dropping to her knees instantly.
"Sir! Please, I swear she didn't mean to wander—"
"Quiet, Elena," Adrienne said. His voice was low, devoid of its usual clinical threat, but heavy enough to stop her instantly.
He gently lowered Mia into her mother's outstretched arms. Elena pulled the little girl to her chest, burying her face in Mia's curls, weeping with a mix of relief and terror.
Adrienne stood over them for a moment. His gray eyes drifted past Elena into the small, sterile room allocated to the estate maids. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked down the hall toward the master wing.
May you like
"Rex," Adrienne commanded softly.
The Doberman stopped, looked back at Mia, and then reluctantly trotted after his master.
