Chapter 13 - The Retaliation
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The estate was a war zone, but the battle was over. Damian’s loyalists had flooded the grounds, executing the remaining Vale mercenaries without mercy.
Damian didn't leave my side. He escorted us to a secure, heavily guarded wing of the house that had survived the assault. He ordered a private doctor to check Lily for any injuries, refusing to leave the room until she was cleared and asleep in a massive guest bed.
I stood by the window, staring out at the flashing lights of the cleanup crews working in the driveway.
“The Vale family is finished,” Damian said, stepping up behind me. His voice was cold, devoid of the vulnerability he had shown at the panic room door. The King had returned.
“What happened at the gala?” I asked quietly.
“I confronted Selene’s father,” Damian explained, crossing his arms. “I showed him the footage of her stealing the ledgers. I told him the engagement was broken and the alliance was dead. He smiled and said it didn't matter, because his men were already at my house taking care of my 'vulnerabilities'.”
My stomach churned. “They were going to kill us to break you.”
“They tried,” Damian corrected, stepping closer until his chest brushed my back. “And they failed. By dawn, every business, warehouse, and port owned by the Vale family will be seized by my men. Selene and her father are currently locked in the subterranean holding cells beneath the hotel.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“What must be done to ensure no one ever looks at you or your daughter with disrespect again,” Damian stated, his voice a dark, absolute promise.
I turned to face him. I was a maid. A single mother who had struggled to buy discount shoes for her child. And now, I was standing in the inner sanctum of a mafia empire, protected by a man who was tearing the city apart for me.
“You don't have to do this for us, Damian,” I whispered.
“I am not doing it for duty, Nora,” Damian replied, his dark eyes dropping to my lips. “I am doing it because I want you. I have wanted you since the day you refused to apologize for your daughter's existence. I want you by my side, not scrubbing my floors.”
He reached out, his calloused hand gently cupping my face.
May you like
“Stay with me,” he commanded softly.
I didn't answer with words. I closed the distance between us, pulling his head down, and kissed him. It was a kiss fueled by adrenaline, survival, and a deep, undeniable connection. He responded instantly, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me flush against him.
