[Dominion New Neighborhood]

"Young Master."

Nolan let out a sigh as he saw Primo coming down the stairs. He took a slow breath, trying to smile so as not to worry the boy.

"Can’t you sleep?" Nolan walked toward him as Primo made his way to the living room, where Nolan had been pacing. "Would you like some milk?"

Primo shook his head, then lifted the notepad he was holding.

[Where’s my mama?]

Nolan held his breath. He tried to maintain his smile but failed. He swallowed against the tension in his throat and crouched down in front of the boy.

"Young Master," he breathed out. "The Master went to pick her up himself."

He nodded. "She will be fine."

All Nolan knew was that Ashley had been taken right from under their noses — and that alone told him how skilled the people responsible were. He had no idea yet that the abduction had spiraled into full-on warfare in the middle of the ocean, nor did he know the complications that surrounded what had begun as a simple abduction.

"Also, I believe the Madam won’t let them take her that easily," he added with a nod, meeting the young master’s eyes. "They will be fine... for sure."

Primo studied Nolan’s face, biting the inside of his lower lip. He wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. In the past, he wouldn’t have worried — those were the times Ashley would escape on her own. But things felt different now.

Members of Dominion were guarding the house, surrounding it on all sides.

Everyone was on high alert, and even though the house itself was quiet, Primo could feel the tension in the air.

"Young Master." Nolan took Primo’s hand and squeezed it gently. He waited for the boy to look up at him, then smiled softly. "Let’s just trust the Madam and the Master, hmm?"

"I trust them both," Nolan added. "I’m sure they’ll be back by the time you wake up."

Primo raised his brows, still searching Nolan’s expression.

"And when they are, I’m sure she’ll ask whether you slept well. You know the Madam." Nolan added with a light chuckle. "She worries about those things. So how about you get some sleep first?"

Hesitation flickered in Primo’s eyes, and so Nolan offered,

"How about this — if I hear any word from them, I’ll wake you up?" He watched Primo’s eyes brighten just a little. Nolan chuckled, taking the boy’s hand. "That’s the deal, alright? But for now, sleep first, Young Master."

With that, Nolan brought Primo back to bed and tucked him in. He offered to read him a book, but Primo refused. The boy said he would just sleep, and when he woke up, Ashley would be there.

Primo closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. Nolan stayed in the room with him, not making a sound.

When several minutes had passed and Primo seemed to have drifted off, Nolan moved to the window and slipped the curtain aside. He peered out, catching sight of Dominion members stationed around the house, weapons visible on them.

"Master," Nolan whispered. "...please bring the Madam home safely."

Bitterness flickered in his eyes, his worry deepening. Above all, he couldn’t help but wonder...

Did this family truly have no right to live a normal life — free from things like this?

*****

Hours later...

Lucian sat beside the hospital bed in a private ward, listening to the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. His eyes were fixed on Ashley, who had just come out of minor surgery to remove the bullet from her back. The doctors said it had missed her spine by an inch.

If it hadn’t, things could have been far worse.

So, aside from the blood loss, she was fine.

"...Fine," he whispered, staring at her pale face.

His gaze drifted to the IV on the back of her hand and the other things attached to her.

How was this fine?

His jaw tightened. He clasped his hands together, elbows on his knees. His shoulders were tense, his clothes still the same ones from before, as he had no time to change. They had simply dried on him.

Slowly, Lucian reached out and slipped his fingers beneath her palm. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Sorry," he whispered, his eyes soft with regret. "For not protecting you enough."

Keeping her hand gently in his, he buried his face against it. His head had begun to throb. She wasn’t dead. She was safe. And yet his thoughts continued to spiral.

His chest was still tight, his emotions indiscernible — crumpled into one great, tangled storm.

Quietly, the door opened and Gustav stepped inside.

He had rushed back into the country the moment he heard what had happened. God knows how desperately he had wished he could have stopped Lucian from going himself. That hadn’t happened in years. Lucian never stepped onto a battlefield, not when he trusted his people to handle things. And yet, this time, he had gone recklessly. Gustav had heard everything before arriving.

"Master," he called quietly, stopping a few steps behind Lucian’s chair.

Bitterness and regret flickered in Gustav’s eyes as he looked at Lucian’s slightly hunched back.

"I’ve already assigned people to guard this place," said Gustav. "If you’d rather not leave her, then at least let yourself change."

His voice was careful but warm. "She’s already out of danger, but I’m afraid you’ll end up sick if—"

"Out."

Gustav stopped mid-sentence. "Master."

"Gustav, get out." Lucian straightened but didn’t turn around, keeping his attention on Ashley. "Don’t make me say it a third time."

Gustav pressed his lips into a firm line and held his tongue. "Apologies."

Without another word, he lowered his head in a brief bow and turned toward the door. But the moment he faced it, his eyes burned as he walked out.

If Lucian fell ill because of this, Gustav thought, every person they had managed to take into custody from this operation would wish they had never been born.

Then, the door slid shut.

Lucian didn’t move. But as he kept watch over her, her hand twitched faintly in his gentle hold. His brows lifted. He stared at her hand, then shifted his eyes to her face, and found her opening her eyes, slowly and with effort.

"Ashley," he said, rising from his chair and moving to the edge of the bed. He didn’t sit on it, only pressed a hand to the mattress, leaning closer.

Ashley blinked weakly, still heavy with medication. Her vision was blurred. She blinked again and again until his face — hovering above hers — came into slightly sharper focus. Half-awake as she was, she caught it: the worry, the guilt, the fear swirling in his eyes.

She smiled faintly, her lips parting.

"Don’t talk," he said, already turning to call for the doctor, when she weakly squeezed his finger. Lucian paused. His eyes dropped to her hand, then back to her face.

Ashley swallowed and forced the words out.

"Don’t..." came her hoarse voice, her eyes on him, taking in his unchanged clothes. "...catch a cold."