Chapter 78 Chapter 78
Dmien’s POV
I studied Vincent carefully, looking for any signs of deception. But all I saw was a wounded, loyal man who’d defended my home.
“How did you survive without a guard?” I asked, needing to understand. “Most of the casualties were guards who fought back. How did you make it out alive?”
Vincent shifted in his seat, wincing at the movement. “I locked myself in the kitchen’s cold room when the shooting started. It’s reinforced steel, meant to preserve expensive cuts of meat. Turns out it’s also bulletproof.”
“And your arm?” I pressed.
“Broke it trying to get out,” Vincent admitted. “The locking mechanism got damaged during the attack probably from a stray bullet or an explosion nearby. I had to force the door open from the inside. Used my shoulder as a battering ram. Heard it snap on the third try.”
The explanation made sense.
“I need you to do something for me,” I said, moving to stand in front of him. “Contact the other elders. All of them. Find out if any of them were also attacked in their homes today.”
Vincent’s good eye widened slightly. “You think this was coordinated? That they hit multiple targets?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But Elder Carter is dead. Poisoned in his own home. And my compound was nearly destroyed. I need to know if this was focused on me specifically or if the Morellis are trying to decapitate our entire leadership.”
“I’ll reach out to everyone immediately,” Vincent said, starting to rise from his chair with difficulty.
“One more thing,” I added, my voice dropping lower. “Keep this quiet. I don’t want anyone outside the elders knowing we’re checking on this. If there’s a wider attack pattern, I don’t want the Morellis knowing we’ve figured it out yet.”
Vincent nodded. “Understood, boss. I’ll be discreet.”
Kai helped Vincent out of the room, and I was left alone again.
I turned to face the wall, my hands bracing against it, my head bowed. The weight of everything that had happened was crushing seventeen dead guards, my home destroyed, my daughter a traitor, my family traumatized.
And somewhere out there, Anthony Morelli and his son were celebrating their victory.
I heard the door open behind me.
“Mother, I told you to leave me alone,” I said without turning around, assuming it was Isabella returning to lecture me more about showing strength.
“I’m not your mother.”
The voice was sharp, feminine, but not Isabella’s.
I turned to find Barbara standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression a mixture of fury and fear.
“You’re Yoyre here.” I said, straightening. “This isn’t a good time.”
“I don’t care if it’s a good time,” Barbara snapped, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. “We need to talk about what you’ve done to my daughter.”
“I’ve done nothing to Hailey,” I said, my jaw tightening. “If anything, I’ve protected her…”
“Protected her?” Barbara’s voice rose sharply. “You call this protection? She was nearly killed today! In your home! Under your watch! She’s pregnant, terrified, and traumatized because you dragged her into your world of violence and death!”
“I didn’t drag her anywhere,” I shot back, my own anger rising.
“You got my daughter pregnant and then trapped her in this nightmare! What choice did she really have?”
“She had every choice,” I said coldly. “She could have left with you. She could have terminated the pregnancy. She chose to stay and have my child.”
“Your child,” Barbara repeated bitterly. “That baby is the only reason she’s still here. The only reason she’s subjecting herself to this hell. And you know what? That makes you just as responsible for putting her in danger as your enemies are.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she wasn’t finished.
“I told her to leave,” Barbara continued, her voice breaking slightly. “I begged her to come away with me, to get away from you and this violent world. But she refused. She said she wanted to give the baby a chance to know their father. She said she… she cares about you.”
The words should have made me feel something warm. Instead, they just made the guilt worse.
“Then let me handles things, instead of snooping around, just stay out of this and let me hand things.”
“What more did you need to handle?!” She took a step closer. “My daughter is bearly kill today, right under your nose and you were no where to be found.”
Her words stirred something inside me, she’s right. Hailey is nearly killed today ahd I was no where to found.
“I’m doing everything I can to keep her safe,” I said quietly.
“You’re not doing anything!”
“I am! I’m doing everything to protect her.”
“Then maybe it’s not enough,” Barbara said flatly. “It’s clearly not enough. If you can’t provide a safe place for my daughter a truly safe place then I’ll do what I have to do.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, my eyes narrowing.
Barbara’s expression hardened, and I saw determination there that reminded me uncomfortably of Hailey’s own stubbornness.
“It means I’ll drug her if I have to,” Barbara said bluntly. “Make her unconscious, put her in a car, and drive her somewhere far away from here. Somewhere you’ll never find us.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I said, taking a step toward her.
“Try me,” Barbara challenged, not backing down despite the obvious threat in my posture. “I’ve already lost my husband to this world. I am not losing my daughter too.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
“What did you say?” I asked slowly.
Barbara’s expression shifted, and I saw she realized she’d said more than she intended.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Forget I said anything.”
“No,” I said, moving closer. “You said you lost your husband to this world.”