Chapter 4 - The Fortress in Westchester
The black SUV slipped through the towering iron gates of the Westchester estate at three in the morning. Snow had begun to fall, dusting the long, winding driveway flanked by towering pine trees.
The kids had slept through the entire journey, bundled in blankets in the back row of seats. As the car rolled to a halt in front of a sprawling stone manor illuminated by warm perimeter lanterns, four armed security guards dressed in tactical civilian gear stepped out of the gatehouse, lowering their umbrellas and nodding respectfully to Sebastian as he cut the engine.
""This is Patrick,"" Sebastian said, gesturing to the lead guard who opened my door. ""Patrick was my father’s head of security. He doesn't answer to Adrian. He answers only to me.""
""Ma'am,"" Patrick said, touching the brim of his cap. His face was weathered, but his eyes were gentle. ""We have the nursery wings heated and three beds prepared. Anything you need, you have only to ask.""
""Thank you, Patrick,"" I whispered, the exhaustion finally pulling at my bones like lead weights.
Sebastian carried Noah and Owen upstairs, while I carried Ivy. The guest suite was larger than my entire apartment in Sunnyside. The beds were draped in soft Egyptian cotton, and on the dressers sat trays of fresh fruit, warm milk, and stuffed animals Patrick’s team had apparently procured in the middle of the night.
Once the children were tucked in, their even breathing filling the quiet room, I stepped out onto the wide mahogany landing. Sebastian was waiting, leaning against the balcony railing overlooking the two-story library below. He handed me a glass of water.
""Drink it. You look like you haven't slept in forty-eight hours.""
""I haven't slept properly in four years, Sebastian,"" I said, taking the glass and leaning against the rail beside him. ""Tell me the rest. Clarissa won't take this lying down.""
""Clarissa has already allied with Adrian,"" Sebastian replied, his tone devoid of surprise. ""My phone has been buzzing since midnight. Her father called three times, threatening to pull Hart Industries' backing from our urban development bond. Adrian sent six encrypted messages demanding an emergency meeting at his Manhattan residence at eight o'clock tomorrow morning.""
""Will you go?""
""Yes,"" Sebastian said, his eyes darkening. ""I have to. If I don't show up, Adrian will know the board coup is in motion, and he’ll begin liquidating trust assets to hide them offshore. I need to keep him focused on me while Sarah Sterling files the court emergency motions.""
""Sarah Sterling?""
""The toughest family law attorney in the state,"" Sebastian smiled faintly. ""She despises my grandfather. Twenty years ago, Adrian tried to disbar her when she represented his second wife. She’s been waiting two decades for a chance to drive a stake through his legal empire. She’s already drafting the petition to vacate our fraudulent divorce on the grounds of forged signatures and intentional concealment of heirs.""
I took a sip of the cold water, feeling the chill settle in my chest. ""What happens if he wins, Sebastian? What happens if he convinces a court that I kept the children away for extortion?""
Sebastian reached out, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His touch sent an unexpected jolt through my skin, a searing reminder of the nights we used to spend tangled together in his old loft, before his family poisoned our world.
""He won't win, Maya,"" he whispered, his thumb lightly brushing my cheekbone. ""Because I’m not the boy who let him dictate my life anymore. Four years ago, I thought protecting you meant letting you go so my grandfather wouldn't destroy your family's diner. I thought I was being noble by walking away and taking the blame. It was the most cowardly thing I ever did.""
""You broke my heart, Sebastian."" The words slipped out before I could stop them, heavy with years of unresolved grief.
""I know,"" he choked out, his hand lingering against my face. ""And I don't expect you to forgive me tomorrow, or next year, or ever. But let me fight for you now. Let me give Noah, Ivy, and Owen the kingdom my father wanted them to have. When it’s over, if you want to take them and leave, I will build you whatever life you want, wherever you want, and I will never force myself into your space again.""
I stared into those silver eyes, searching for any trace of the cold, arrogant heir who had left me at the courthouse. There was none. Only a father desperate to redeem himself, and a man who had finally found something worth bleeding for.
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""Don't get yourself killed tomorrow, Sebastian,"" I whispered, turning away toward the bedroom door. ""They need a father. Even if it takes time for them to know who you are.""
He smiled, a heartbreakingly gentle look that chased away the cold of the winter night. ""Sleep well, Maya. Tomorrow, we take our lives back.""
