Chapter 3 - The Fragile Greenhouse
Despite the gathering storm outside the white stone gates, the third-floor eastern wing remained a place of slow, deliberate healing. Leo spent his mornings in the mini-greenhouse, his small hands carefully turning the soil around the rare pink peonies that Nola had nurtured back to health. The high, clear laughter that had been missing for six months was slowly returning, a sweet sound that drifted through the heavy oak doors.
"Look, Nola," Leo said, pointing to a tiny green shoot breaking through the dark earth. "The winter rain didn't drown it. It’s stronger now."
Nola knelt beside him, wiping a smudge of dirt from his nose. "Plants are resilient, Leo. Just like you. If you give them the right soil and enough protection, they can survive any winter."
Damian watched them from the doorway, his broad shoulders leaning against the frame. He had traded his blood-stained suit for a soft black cashmere sweater, though the compact pistol remained tucked into his waistband—a permanent fixture of his reality. Seeing his nephew smile was a victory more profound than any territory seizure, but the weight of his crown felt heavier than ever.
"Uncle Damian!" Leo called out, noticing him. He ran over, wrapping his arms around Damian’s leg. "Nola says the flowers are going to bloom all through the summer. Can we keep the greenhouse open?"
"We can keep whatever you want, Leo," Damian said, his deep voice carrying a rare, gentle warmth as he lifted the boy up. "This house belongs to you. Everything within these walls is yours to keep."
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As Leo ran off to show Bishop his new drawings, Nola walked over to Damian, her expression serious. "The tranquility is beautiful, Damian, but it’s an illusion. I saw the security logs. You’ve doubled the guards on the gate. What aren't you telling me?"
"Victoria Vance has arrived," Damian replied, his face hardening into its familiar, severe mask. "She’s requested a meeting at the old transit house on Pier Twelve. Tonight. She knows about Leo, Nola. And she knows about you."
