Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Nursery
Two hours later, the grand ballroom was finally empty.
The federal marshals had processed the guests, checked their identities, and escorted them off the property under heavy guard. Senator Arthur Vance and Marcus Sterling had been transferred out through the service basement in unmarked federal transport vans, headed straight for a maximum-security federal detention center in Manhattan.
The crystal chandeliers overhead were dimmed, casting long, soft shadows across the polished marble floor where the shattered porcelain and white frosting had already been cleaned away by the maintenance crew.
It was past midnight.
I walked up the sweeping grand staircase, my footsteps echoing in the cavernous silence of the estate. The adrenaline that had fueled my body for the past six hours was finally beginning to ebb, leaving behind a dull, throbbing ache in my muscles and bones.
When I reached the second-floor landing, I paused outside Ethan’s bedroom door.
The door was cracked open an inch, leaking a warm, amber glow from the bedside nightlight. I pushed it open silently and stepped inside.
Ethan was fast asleep in his bed. He was curled on his side, one small hand clutching the edge of his blue comforter. His breathing was slow, steady, and peaceful. The terror of the evening had finally melted away into exhaustion.
Sitting in the rocking chair beside his bed was Sophia.
She looked up as I entered, her eyes red-rimmed from crying, but her posture composed once again. She stood up quietly, smoothing down her black skirt, and walked toward the door.
“Is he asleep?” I asked in a whisper.
“Out like a light,” Sophia murmured, pausing beside me near the doorway. She looked down at the floor for a moment, her fingers twisting nervously together. “Mr. Moretti... I want to apologize again. If I had been more careful—”
“Stop, Sophia,” I said gently. “You didn't know. None of us knew how deep the rot went. You raised a remarkable child tonight. If it wasn't for Lily... I wouldn't be looking at him sleeping right now.”
Sophia’s lower lip trembled, and she quickly brushed away a stray tear with the back of her hand. “Where is Lily?”
“She’s downstairs in the family quarters, eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream with extra strawberries, just like she wanted,” I said, a faint, rare smile touching my lips. “Vincent arranged for a private car to take you both home tonight, with an armed security detail assigned to your house indefinitely. You’ll never have to worry about your safety again.”
Sophia looked up at me, profound gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Dominic.”
“No,” I replied, looking back toward my son’s bed. “Thank you.”
She nodded softly, slipped out into the hallway, and closed the door behind her with a quiet click.
I walked over to Ethan’s bedside, pulled the comforter up a little higher over his shoulders, and brushed a lock of soft brown hair away from his forehead. He stirred slightly, murmuring something unintelligible in his sleep, and smiled.
I pulled up a chair beside his bed, sat down, and watched him breathe.
For the first time in seven years—since the day I buried Elena—I felt the suffocating weight in my chest lift just a fraction. The world outside my gates was cold, ruthless, and filled with monsters who wore tailored suits and polite smiles.
May you like
Let them come.
As long as I had breath in my lungs, nothing would ever touch my son again.
