Chapter 6
The heavy iron gates of the Blackwood estate closed with a loud, metallic clang, shutting out the police cruisers and the disgraced senator.
Silence settled back over the mansion.
In the grand foyer, Ronan stood alone for a moment, staring at the spot where the confrontation had just taken place. His jaw was clenched, the adrenaline of the confrontation slowly fading into a deep, restless exhaustion.
"You didn't have to do that," a quiet voice broke the stillness.
Ronan turned to see Ivy standing near the base of the staircase. She hadn't gone back to the quarters; she had stayed to watch the entire exchange unfold.
"Vance needed to be reminded of who holds the leash in this city," Ronan replied evenly, walking toward her. He stopped a few feet away, noticing the slight fatigue in her eyes. "You should be resting. The doctor said..."
"I'm fine, Mr. Blackwood," Ivy interrupted softly, her chin lifting slightly. "Truly. But... what happens now? Vivienne’s family won't forgive this. And the city is going to be talking about nothing else tomorrow morning."
A rare, genuine smile—thin and sharp, but devoid of malice—appeared on Ronan’s face.
"Let them talk," he said, stepping closer until he stood right in front of her. The height difference was striking, but Ivy refused to shrink away. "For five years, people in this city have looked at me as a machine built of money and cold steel. Tonight, the only person who saw a human being was a maid with a bleeding shoulder who refused to let an innocent child get burned."
Ivy’s breath hitched. She looked up into his dark, searching eyes, finding no cruelty there—only a strange, profound understanding that terrified and captivated her in equal measure.
"I am not a charity case, Mr. Blackwood," she whispered.
"I know you aren't," Ronan replied, his voice softening into a deep, resonant rumble. "Which is why I am offering you a choice, Ivy."
May you like
"A choice?"
"Stay," Ronan said, his gaze locking onto hers with absolute finality. "Not as a maid scrubbing floors or hiding in the kitchens. Stay as my head of household operations—my equal in this estate. Let me protect you the way you protected that girl tonight."
