Chapter 4
Ivy stared down at the man who commanded empires, her breath catching in her throat. The dim amber light of the fireplace cast sharp shadows across his angular jaw and intense dark eyes.
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Blackwood?" Ivy asked, keeping her voice carefully neutral, though her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Ronan didn't answer immediately. He reached out, his large, calloused hand gently brushing past the collar of his own damp coat to hover just millimeters from her bandaged shoulder, careful not to touch the wound. The gesture was surprisingly tender for a man known throughout the city as a monster of the underworld.
"Vivienne is gone, but her family’s allies won't simply let this go," Ronan said quietly, his gaze locking onto hers. "They will see your presence here—and the way I dismissed a high-society engagement for your sake—as an insult. They will look for a weakness."
Ivy swallowed hard, her mind racing. She was just a maid from a working-class family, struggling to keep her brothers in school. She had never asked to be pulled into the venomous viper's nest of high-society politics and mafia vendettas.
"I can leave," Ivy said softly, though the thought sent a cold pang through her chest. "I can pack my things tonight and go back to the city. You don't have to worry about me being a liability."
"Leave?" A dark, dangerous glint flashed in Ronan's eyes. He stood up to his full height, towering over her once more. "In my world, Ivy, no one leaves until I say so. And I haven't finished with you yet."
Before Ivy could process his words, the heavy double doors of the study flew open with a sharp crash.
Viktor strode into the room, his face pale and tense, completely violating the protocol of the private wing.
"Boss," Viktor said, his voice urgent. "We have a problem at the front gates. Senator Vance’s security detail just pulled up with local enforcement. They’re demanding answers about Vivienne—and they’re claiming we're holding her against her will."
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Ronan’s expression hardened instantly, the warmth of the room vanishing as if a winter storm had blown through the windows. The air grew heavy, suffocating with sudden, lethal tension.
"Let them come," Ronan whispered, a terrifying smile touching his lips. "Let’s see if Senator Vance has forgotten whose money built his entire political career."
