Chapter 2 - The Sanctuary of Color
Ava’s room was on the east wing of the estate. It was a vast, sunlit room designed with extraordinary care. Instead of bright wallpaper, the walls were painted a soft, chalky sage green. The lighting was completely indirect, provided by warm, dimmable LED strips concealed along the ceiling baseboards.
When Natalie entered, Ava was sitting on a thick sheepskin rug in the corner, meticulously sorting a box of wooden building blocks by shape and grain pattern.
She didn't look up when the door opened.
Natalie didn't rush in. She sat down on the floor near the doorway, keeping a respectful ten feet of distance. She pulled a small notebook and a pencil from her bag and began making soft, rhythmic sketching sounds on the paper.
Five minutes passed in total silence.
Slowly, Ava’s small head turned. She looked at Natalie, then at the pencil moving across the paper.
"What are you drawing?" the child asked, her voice hardly louder than a whisper.
"I'm drawing a cat with very big ears," Natalie said softly, without looking up directly. "So it can hear whisperers from far away."
Ava adjusted the green block in her hand. "Cats don't like loud noise either."
"No, they don't," Natalie agreed. "They prefer quiet rooms with soft rugs."
Ava stood up, clutching two blocks, and walked slowly toward Natalie. She didn't sit right beside her, but she dropped into a cross-legged position three feet away, watching the sketch take shape.
By noon, Natalie had managed to guide Ava through a simple math game using the colored blocks. She didn't force the child to maintain eye contact or sit still at a traditional desk. When Ava needed to pace the perimeter of the room to process a complex question, Natalie simply waited patiently until she returned.
Standing outside the half-open door, Damian watched the interaction through the crack.
Beside him stood Marco, his chief of security—a broad-shouldered man with a jagged scar across his cheek and a hidden holster beneath his jacket.
"She has a gentle hand, Boss," Marco murmured quietly. "The kid hasn't screamed once today."
Damian didn't break his gaze from Natalie, who was currently laughing quietly as Ava arranged three stuffed animals in a strict line.
"Gentleness is dangerous in our business, Marco," Damian said softly. "Keep two men on her when she leaves the grounds tonight. I want to know who she talks to, where she goes, and if anyone from the Moretti family tries to approach her."
May you like
"You think Moretti knows about her?"
"Moretti knows I have a weakness," Damian replied, his jaw tightening. "And now he knows my daughter has a new protector."
