Chapter 2 - The Girl Who Didn’t Run Away
Dominic Vale came down the staircase slowly.
Every person in the room stepped back.
Even the guards.
That was when I understood something.
This man wasn’t powerful because people respected him.
He was powerful because people feared what happened when they didn’t.
He stopped in front of Noah.
“Look at me.”
The boy didn’t.
“Noah.”
Still nothing.
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
Then his eyes moved toward me.
“You’re hurt.”
It wasn’t a question.
I touched my side carefully.
“I’m okay.”
Mrs. Hargrove looked shocked.
“Miss Reed, you should be more honest.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Leave.”
Everyone disappeared immediately.
Within seconds, the massive foyer became silent.
Just me.
Dominic.
And Noah.
The feared mafia boss of Chicago knelt beside his son.
Something about that surprised me.
Because the man everyone described as heartless looked different when he looked at Noah.
He looked broken.
“Noah,” he said quietly.
The boy stared at the floor.
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes widened.
The child didn’t respond.
Dominic looked at me.
“He doesn’t usually stop.”
“Stop what?”
“After attacking someone.”
I looked at Noah.
“He wasn’t attacking me.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What did you say?”
I slowly stood.
“He wasn’t trying to hurt me.”
The room became colder.
“You believe you understand my son after five minutes?”
“No.”
I looked directly at him.
“But I understand fear.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Dominic studied me.
Most people probably looked away when he stared at them.
I didn’t.
Not because I was brave.
Because I was too tired to be afraid.
“My brother is sick,” I said.
His eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“The money from this job is the only reason I accepted.”
I swallowed.
“I’m not here because I think I can fix Noah.”
“Then why stay?”
I looked at the little boy.
“Because everyone else already decided he was broken.”
Noah suddenly looked up.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
He heard me.
Dominic noticed too.
The mafia boss who controlled half of Chicago stared at his silent son.
Then back at me.
“What do you think is wrong with him?”
I looked at Noah.
“I think everyone keeps asking why he hurts people.”
A pause.
“But nobody asks what he’s afraid of.”
For the first time…
May you like
Dominic Vale looked uncertain.
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