Chapter 6 - The Shadows in the Nursery
The victory at the Starlight Casino had consolidated Dominic’s control over the Chicago underworld, but the emotional battle inside his own home was far from over.
By Saturday morning, the Moretti estate had been transformed into a secure paradise for the triplets. Dominic had ordered his corporate logistics team to deliver three truckloads of the finest toys, clothing, and bedroom furniture to the east wing. A massive, custom-built wooden playground had been assembled on the rear lawn overnight, surrounded by three concentric rings of security guards hidden behind the manicured hedges.
Dominic stood in the doorway of the newly decorated nursery, watching his children.
Sophie was sitting on a plush pink rug, carefully arranging a set of porcelain dolls Dominic’s staff had imported from Paris. Noah was quietly reading a picture book about dinosaurs, his gentle face relaxed. But Caleb—the serious, pale-eyed boy—was standing by the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his little jaw tight as he watched the armed security guards walking along the perimeter wall.
Dominic walked into the room slowly, removing his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves to appear less intimidating. He knelt down beside Caleb, looking out the window with him.
"You're watching the guards," Dominic said quietly.
"They have guns," Caleb said, not looking at his father. His voice had that same stubborn, protective edge Dominic had possessed as a boy. "Mommy told us guns are bad. She said the bad men in Chicago use them to make people disappear."
Dominic’s heart twinged with a deep, aching guilt. He looked at his son’s profile, seeing the raw, unadulterated innocence that his world threatened to destroy.
"Those men are here to make sure no one ever makes your mommy disappear again, Caleb," Dominic said softly, his voice rich with an uncharacteristic tenderness. "Five years ago, some very bad people lied to me. They told me your mommy was gone, and they kept me from finding you. If I had known you were here... I would have walked through fire to hold you."
Caleb finally turned his head, his pale blue eyes locking onto Dominic’s with an intense, analytical gaze that seemed impossible for a four-year-old child. He reached out his tiny hand, his small fingers gently tracing the edge of the dragon tattoo on Dominic’s neck.
"Mommy cried every night on her birthday," Caleb whispered, his little voice breaking. "She had a little gold box with a picture of you inside. She told us you were an angel watching us from the sky. But you aren't an angel. You're big."
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Dominic couldn't stop the tear that slipped down his cheek. He pulled his son into his massive arms, crushing the boy against his chest. Caleb didn't resist this time; his little arms wrapped tightly around Dominic’s neck, his face burying into his father’s shoulder.
Elena stood in the doorway, her eyes misting over as she watched the king of Chicago’s underworld finally being healed by the love of his son.
