Chapter 4 - The Golden Cage
By midnight, Norah’s world had completely shrunk to the master suite on the top floor of the Russo compound.
The room was vast, dominated by a king-sized bed wrapped in dark silk sheets, a heavy mahogany desk, and floor-to-ceiling reinforced glass overlooking the dark perimeter of the estate. Her modest belongings from her small ground-floor room had already been moved up by the staff in silent, terrified efficiency. Her oversized sweaters had been removed from her wardrobe, replaced by custom silk gowns and soft cashmere dresses that hugged every single curve of her changed body.
Norah sat on the edge of the massive bed, wearing a dark blue silk robe that showed the soft, undeniable swell of her stomach. Without the heavy sweaters to hide behind, she looked thoroughly, unmistakably pregnant.
The bedroom door clicked open.
Dominic stepped inside. He had taken off his dress shirt and wore only a dark gray t-shirt and dark trousers. He carried a silver tray containing a bowl of warm soup, fresh fruit, and a tall glass of milk.
He set the tray down on the nightstand beside her. "Eat."
Norah didn't move. She kept her hands clasped tightly in her lap, staring at the floor. "I’m not hungry."
"I didn't ask if you were hungry," Dominic said, taking a seat in the leather armchair across from the bed. He crossed his long legs, watching her like a hawk watching its prey. "The doctor at the clinic said you need proper nutrition. You've been starving yourself trying to fit into those ridiculous clothes."
"I wasn't starving myself," she snapped defensively. "I ate every meal. I just didn't eat your rich food."
"You will eat whatever my chef prepares for you from now on," Dominic instructed coldly. "And tomorrow morning, Dr. Vance—my personal physician—will be arriving to perform a full, comprehensive examination. No more back-alley hacks."
Norah finally lifted her head, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "Dr. Vance is on your payroll. He answers to you, not to me."
"He answers to my money, which means he will ensure my child is born completely healthy," Dominic countered logically. "You have no say in this matter anymore, Norah. You forfeited your input the moment you tried to run with my heir."
"Heir?" Norah scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her throat. "Is that all this child is to you? An asset? A secondary heir in case something happens to Lily?"
Dominic’s gray eyes flared with a sudden, dangerous intensity. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do not speak of Lily or this child as assets. You know nothing about how I value my family."
"I know that your family lives in a fortress surrounded by men with machine guns!" Norah yelled back, tears springing to her eyes again. "I know that Lily can't go to a normal park without three snipers sitting on the roofs! I know that you come home every week smelling of blood and copper! I didn't want this life for my baby!"
"It is not your baby!" Dominic stood up, his massive frame towering over the bed, casting a long, dark shadow over her. "It is our baby! Half of what is growing inside you belongs to me, Norah! The blood in its veins is Russo blood! Do you think my enemies care that you were just the nanny? If the Moretti family found out you were carrying my child in some cheap apartment on Fourth Street, they wouldn't have offered you a baby shower! They would have cut your throat and dropped your body in the river just to send me a message!"
Norah flinched as if he had physically struck her. The stark, violent reality of his words slammed into her chest with terrifying force.
Dominic took a deep, steadying breath, running a hand through his dark hair. He forced his booming voice back into a controlled, low rumble.
"You think I kept you here out of cruelty?" he asked softly, stepping closer to the bed. "I kept you here because this house is the only place on this earth where you and that child are safe from the monsters I fight every day."
"You are one of those monsters, Dominic," she whispered, her voice cracking.
May you like
Dominic paused. He looked down at her—at her tear-stained face, her trembling lips, and the soft, rounded curve of her stomach beneath the dark silk robe.
"I know," he said softly, reaching out to gently touch the edge of her chin with his bruised knuckles. "But I am the monster that guards your door."
