Chapter 1 - The Lion’s Awakening
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The silence in the room was heavy enough to crush the air right out of my lungs.
Victor Vance—the man whose name was whispered in dark alleys, the man whose shadow governed half the city’s underground empire—was staring directly at me. His icy blue eyes, sharp as shattered glass, locked onto mine.
I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
There he was, sprawling across an expensive charcoal-leather couch, his tailored suit jacket discarded on a nearby armchair. And right on his chest, tucked safely beneath the folds of his dark vest, was my seven-month-old daughter, Ellie. Her tiny hands were clutching the lapel of his shirt, her cheek resting over the steady thud of his heart. One of his massive, calloused hands was gently cupped over her back, holding her so securely that she didn't even stir when the door burst open.
My manager, Donald, skidded to a halt behind me, panting heavily. His face had turned a sickly shade of white.