Chapter 5 - The AwakeningThe nursery was bathed in the soft, warm glow of a bedside nightlight.
Ethan was lying beneath his favorite dinosaur duvet, his breathing deep and steady. The white medical gauze on his cheek looked stark against his pale skin, but the tension lines around his small mouth had finally relaxed.
I pulled a wooden chair close to the mattress, sat down, and gently took his small, limp hand in mine. It felt fragile—like a bird’s wing that could snap under the slightest pressure.
A wave of suffocating guilt crashed over me. For two years, I had convinced myself that providing financial security, bodyguards, and a luxurious mansion was enough to be a good father. I had traded presence for power, letting a parasite into my home because I was too blind, too arrogant, and too busy conquering the underworld to protect the only thing that truly mattered.
A soft rustling sound came from the doorway.
I looked up. Maria stood there, wringing her apron in her hands, looking nervous.
“Mr. Vincent... I’m sorry I didn't call you sooner,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I was... I was so afraid of Madame Vanessa. She threatened to fire me and throw me out on the street if I ever questioned her.”
I stood up, walked over to the older woman, and placed a heavy, reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“You didn't just save my son tonight, Maria,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “You saved what was left of my soul. From this moment on, your position in this house is secure for life. Name your salary, name your terms. You are family now.”
Maria wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded gratefully before quietly slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I returned to my seat beside Ethan’s bed, resting my elbows on my knees and burying my face in my hands. For the first time in over a decade, the great Vincent—the apex predator of the European underworld—sat in the dark and wept.
May you like
Not out of weakness, but out of a fierce, desperate vow.
Never again, I swore to the empty room. Never again will anyone ever lay a hand on my boy.
