Chapter 317

BRANDON'S POV

I could not sit still.

The heavy rain was still tapping against the tall living room windows of the estate. I paced back and forth across the hardwood floor, my hands shoved deep into my pockets, my jaw clenched so tight my teeth hurt.

Every few seconds, I stopped to look at the large clock on the wall.

Dominic and the rest of the security team had returned home fifteen minutes ago, stepping through the front doors dripping wet from the storm.

Ever since Aria had called me from the road asking to pull the extra cars back, a cold knot had been twisting deeper and deeper in my stomach.

Dominic stood near the side archway, holding a leather tablet under his arm. He watched me march back and forth across the rug with a calm, quiet expression.

"Boss," Dominic said, keeping his voice soft and respectful. "You need to sit down and take a breath. Antonio is driving the car himself. Miss Aria and little Miss Amelia are completely safe. They will be through the front gates in a few minutes."

I stopped in my tracks, turning my head to glare at him. "How can you tell me to relax, Dominic? You know what kind of unhinged psycho Gabriel is. You know what he is capable of when he finds a weak spot."

Dominic cleared his throat softly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He hesitated for a brief second, choosing his words carefully before he spoke again.

"I know who Gabriel is, Boss," Dominic said quietly, looking me straight in the eye. "I was in that building six years ago when it blew up. But if you do not mind me saying so, Boss... do you not feel like you are suffocating Miss Aria just a little bit?"

I stared at him, my eyebrows pulling down in anger. "What did you just say to me?"

"I mean no disrespect, Boss," Dominic said quickly, lowering his head slightly to show his honor. "I am only saying what I see. Miss Aria is a strong woman, but she is not used to living inside a fortress with armed men watching her every move. She feels trapped."

"I am keeping her alive," I said, my voice rising slightly as I pointed a finger toward the front driveway. "Gabriel is out there right now, Dominic. Julian is out there on the run. This is not a game."

"I know it is not a game, Boss," Dominic replied calmly. "Lord knows Gabriel deserves a bullet through his head for what he has done to this family. If not for the fact that you promised Miss Aria you had left the mafia world behind for good, we would have hunted him down and put him in the ground three days ago."

I closed my eyes for a short moment, letting out a heavy, tired breath. Dominic was right, but it did not make the fear in my chest go away.

"We will talk about that later, Dominic," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "You and I both know it is not that simple right now."

Just then, the faint, heavy crunch of tires against wet gravel echoed from the driveway outside. I heard the deep rumble of the main security gates sliding open. The tight knot in my chest loosened all at once, and I managed to let out a long sigh of relief. Thank God. They were safe.

I did not wait for Dominic to move. I turned and walked straight out the front doors onto the covered porch, watching Antonio bring the dark sedan to a smooth stop right in front of the steps.

The rear door opened, and Amelia stepped out first, wearing her small yellow raincoat. The moment her bright blue eyes landed on me, her entire face lit up with a huge smile. She ran up the stone steps as fast as her small legs could take her, throwing her arms wide.

"Daddy," Amelia cried, jumping into my arms.

I caught her easily, lifting her high against my chest and wrapping my arms tight around her small body. She kissed my cheek with a wet, sweet smack, her little hands holding onto my collar.

"I missed you so much, Daddy," Amelia chattered happily, her voice ringing out in the cool air. "Look, Mommy got me strawberry ice cream on the way home. And guess what? I made a new friend in school today. It is a new boy in my class."

I smiled down at her, smoothing her soft hair back. "A new friend? That is great, sweetheart."

"Yes," Amelia said, nodding her head with a serious look on her face. "His name is Jayden, and he is very cute."

I froze instantly. My smile disappeared, and my eyes went wide as I looked down at my six-year-old daughter.

Across the driveway, Antonio, who was standing by the open car door, let out a quiet cough to stifle a sudden laugh.

Next to him, Aria’s eyes went wide with complete surprise, her hand covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh out loud.

I looked back at Amelia, my voice dropping into a stern, protective tone. "Amelia, are you trying to give your father a heart attack?"

Amelia chuckled softly, her small shoulders wiggling as she shook her head. "No, Daddy. What is a heart attack?"

I shook my head, feeling a sudden warmth melt away the heavy tension that had been gripping my chest all morning.

I leaned down and kissed her soft forehead gently. "It is nothing you need to worry about, baby girl. Go on inside."

Right on cue, her nanny stepped out onto the porch with a warm blanket. She smiled at us and took Amelia into her arms, scooping her up to carry her upstairs to change her wet clothes and get her some warm food.

"Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mommy," Amelia called out over the nanny's shoulder as the heavy oak front doors swung shut behind them.

Once the porch went quiet again, I turned my head to look at Aria.

She was standing at the bottom of the steps, holding her black leather bag in one hand, watching me quietly with her soft, dark eyes.

The cool wind blew a few strands of hair across her face. I stepped down the wet stone stairs, closed the small space between us, and wrapped my arms gently around her waist.

I pulled her close, burying my face in the side of her neck for a second before lifting my head to kiss her lips. It was a slow, deep, desperate kiss, telling her everything I could not put into words.

When I finally pulled back slightly, Aria looked up at me, a tiny, teasing smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

"You know," Aria said softly, resting her hand against my chest, "I am starting to feel a little bit jealous of Amelia. She gets all your attention now."

I knew she was teasing me to lighten the mood. The sound of a genuine, short laugh escaped my throat before I could even stop it. It felt strange to laugh, like opening a window in a room that had been dark for days.

When my laughter faded, I noticed that Aria was still watching my face very closely, her expression turning quiet and serious.

"What’s wrong?" I asked softly, smoothing a dark lock of hair behind her ear.

"It has been days since I heard you laugh like that, Brandon. I missed it," Aria said softly, her voice full of tenderness. She took a small step closer to me, her eyes locked onto mine. "We need to talk."

I felt my heart sink just a little bit. I knew where this was going. I thought she was going to lecture me about the extra guards and the motorcade again.

"Aria, can we please talk about the security detail later?" I asked gently. "You just got home. Let’s go inside and get you something warm to drink first."

Aria shook her head slowly, her grip on my coat tightening just a bit. "No, Brandon. Not about the guards. I know about the whole story now. I know what happened with Gabriel six years ago. I know why he hates you so much."

I went completely still. The breath caught in my throat. "What?"

"Antonio told me," Aria revealed quietly, showing no fear at all as she looked into my eyes. "He told me everything on the drive to the school."

I took a deep, steady breath, trying to process her words. I looked over at Antonio, who gave me a single, respectful nod from near the car before turning to walk toward the other house.

I looked back down at Aria, taking her small, soft hand into mine and squeezing it tight.

"Let’s go upstairs to our room," I said softly, my voice low and serious. "We can talk about it privately."

Aria nodded quietly. "Okay."

I wrapped my fingers securely around hers, turning back toward the house. I led her up the stone steps, through the grand foyer, and straight up the stairs toward our bedroom, knowing that the ghosts of my past could no longer stay hidden in the dark.