Chapter 4 - A Safe Frame
For the past three years, Molly had lived in a tiny studio apartment that smelled of damp paint, counting pennies to pay her rent. Twenty-four hours after walking out of Blackwoods, she woke up in a room that felt like it belonged in a palace.
The bedsheets were made of Egyptian cotton, and the large windows overlooked a private, heavily guarded estate surrounded by ancient oak trees. A private doctor had already wrapped her cracked ribs, and a fresh change of clothes sat on a velvet chair near the bed.
A soft scratch at the door made her sit up. The door opened, and a massive fawn-colored head poked inside. It was Goliath. His shoulder was heavily bandaged, but his tail was wagging furiously.
"Hey, big guy," Molly smiled, her eyes tearing up as the massive dog trotted over and rested his heavy chin on her lap, begging for scratches.
"He hasn't left your door all morning," a voice spoke from the hallway. Alexander walked in, carrying a tray with a hot cup of tea and breakfast. The ruthless mafia boss looked completely different without his dark overcoat; he looked human, his eyes softening as he watched Molly interact with his dog.
"Thank you for saving him, Molly," Alexander said, setting the tray down. "My enemies took him to get to me. They didn't realize he would break out and find the one person in this city with a good heart."
Molly looked down at her tea. "I just did what anyone should have done."
"No," Alexander corrected her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Forty people in that room did nothing. You risked your life for him. And because of that, you are now under my protection. You will never have to work a shift at Blackwoods again. You will never have to be 'invisible' to survive."
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Over the next six months, Molly’s life transformed completely. Alexander didn't treat her like a servant or a liability; he treated her like an equal. He funded her dream of opening a specialized animal rehabilitation center in the city, providing her with the resources she needed to protect the creatures the world deemed "worthless."
And slowly, the man who was known for his cold ruthlessness began to melt. Alexander found himself leaving his meetings early just to watch Molly work at the center, her laughter filling the spaces that used to be occupied by silence and fear.
