Chapter 3 - The Broken Promises
By 9:00 PM, the grand mansion had quieted down into a peaceful, secure sanctuary.
The children had been fed a warm, delicious dinner prepared by the estate’s private chef—a meal of fresh chicken soup, soft bread, and fruit that Ivy and Noah devoured with pure joy.
Afterward, Sebastian had personally led us upstairs to the primary wing of the mansion, where a stunning, sunlit three-bedroom suite had been prepared for the kids, complete with brand-new stuffed animals, soft pajamas, and custom wooden cribs.
I stood by the window of the children's bedroom, watching the rain beat against the glass, while Sebastian sat on the edge of Owen's bed, reading him a story about knights and dragons.
Owen’s small eyes were heavy, his tiny hands clutching the blanket, his gaze fixed on Sebastian’s face as if he were afraid that if he closed his eyes, the magical man in the suit would disappear.
"And so," Sebastian read softly, turning the page, "the knight built a fortress so high and so strong that no dragon, no matter how fierce, could ever hurt the prince again."
"Did the knight stay with the prince?" Owen asked, his voice thick with sleep.
Sebastian set the book down on the nightstand. He reached out, gently running his long fingers through Owen’s dark hair—a gesture so infinitely gentle it made my throat ache.
"Yes, little man," Sebastian whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to Owen’s forehead. "The knight stayed forever. He’s never leaving again."
Owen let out a soft, contented sigh, his eyes finally closing as sleep claimed him.
Sebastian remained still for a long moment, watching Owen’s rhythmic breathing, before he slowly stood up and walked toward me near the window.
"They're safe here, Maya," Sebastian said quietly, looking out into the rain-swept gardens. "This estate has forty armed guards on twenty-four-hour rotation. The perimeter is fully secured."
"I know," I murmured, staring at my reflection in the dark glass. "It’s not the guards I’m worried about, Sebastian."
"Then what are you worried about?"
I turned to face him, leaning my back against the window frame. "I’m worried about us. I’m worried about the fact that six hours ago, I was buying discounted groceries in Queens, and now I’m standing in a mafia fortress while your grandfather is being held in a basement cell."
Sebastian stepped closer, stopping inches away from me. "This isn't just a fortress, Maya. This is our home. The home I built for us four years ago before everything was ripped apart."
"Is it?" I asked, looking into his gray eyes. "What about Senator Montgomery? What about the political alliances? What about the rival cartels who now know that the great Sebastian Vale has three hidden children?"
Sebastian reached out, taking my cold hands in his warm palms. "Clarissa Montgomery and her father mean nothing to me. The port permits were already secured through private shipping contracts weeks ago—Arthur was just using the engagement to force me into a political marriage. As for the rival cartels..."
His eyes glinted with a dark, dangerous promise that sent a shiver down my spine.
"If any man in this city so much as looks at you or my children with bad intentions," Sebastian vowed softly, "I will burn their world to the ground until there is nothing left but ash."
Before I could answer, a knock sounded at the bedroom door.
Marcus stepped inside, holding a secure encrypted tablet. His face was grim, his eyes flicking nervously toward me before settling on Sebastian.
"Boss," Marcus whispered. "We have a situation at the port office in Brooklyn."
Sebastian didn't let go of my hand immediately. He looked at Marcus, his jaw tightening. "What kind of situation?"
"Senator Montgomery just filed an emergency injunction with the federal maritime board to freeze our dock permits," Marcus reported quietly. "And... Arthur’s loyalists in the Jersey branch have just seized two of our supply warehouses. They're demanding Arthur’s immediate release from house arrest, or they publish the children's birth records to the federal prosecutor's office."
My heart dropped into my stomach like a stone. "Publish their birth records...?" I whispered, panic rising in my chest. "Sebastian... if the federal prosecutor gets involved, they'll investigate my past, the kids' security..."
"They won't get the chance," Sebastian said, his voice instantly transforming into absolute ice.
He turned back to me, framing my face with his large hands, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that demanded total trust.
"Stay here with the children, Maya," Sebastian instructed gently. "Do not leave this floor. Marcus has ten guards stationed outside this door. I need to go to Brooklyn to finish this war once and for all."
"Sebastian, wait," I begged, clutching his lapels. "It’s a trap! Arthur wants you to go to the docks!"
Sebastian offered me a small, breathtakingly handsome smile—the same smile he used to give me when we were twenty-two and believed we could conquer the world together.
"Let him trap me, Maya," Sebastian whispered, kissing my forehead softly. "Because he forgot one very important thing."
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"What?"
"Four years ago, I fought with one hand tied behind my back because I thought I had nothing left to lose," Sebastian declared, stepping back and pulling a concealed firearm from his shoulder holster, checking the chamber with a sharp, lethal clack. "Tonight, I am fighting for my wife and my three children. And there is no force on this earth that can survive me."
