Chapter 5 - The Lesson in the Rose Garden
Two weeks passed.
Life at the Moretti estate felt like an impossible dream to Belle.
Her sunlit suite overlooked the private gardens. Every morning, fresh clothes—simple, elegant dresses that fit her perfectly—were delivered to her wardrobe. Micah had been enrolled alongside Sienna at St. Jude’s Private Academy, his worn canvas shoes replaced by polished leather boots.
Yet, Belle could not shake the feeling that she was living on borrowed time.
On a crisp November afternoon, Belle walked through the rose garden, wrapped in a warm navy wool coat Dominic had bought for her.
Near the stone fountain, she found Dominic standing with Micah.
Dominic was holding a small wooden target board, showing Micah how to throw a iron balance weight with precision.
"Focus on the center, Micah," Dominic was saying, his massive hand gently guiding the boy's shoulder. "Don't rush the release. Power means nothing if you don't control your aim."
Micah threw the weight. It struck the exact center of the wooden board with a sharp THUNK.
"Good," Dominic grinned, patting the boy's head. "Very good."
Belle stepped forward, her eyebrows knit in concern. "Dominic... what are you teaching him?"
Dominic turned, his gray eyes softening as he looked at her. "I'm teaching him how to defend himself, Belle."
"He's seven years old!" Belle protested, pulling Micah gently to her side. "He doesn't need to learn how to fight!"
"In this city, everyone needs to know how to fight," Dominic said quietly, stepping closer to her. He motioned for one of the garden guards to take Micah inside for hot cocoa.
Once the boy was out of earshot, Dominic looked down at Belle, his expression serious.
"Belle," Dominic said, his deep voice dropping into a intimate rumble. "You think I brought you here just out of gratitude?"
Belle’s pulse fluttered. "Didn't you?"
"At first, yes," Dominic admitted, taking a step closer until she could smell the scent of cedar wood and expensive tobacco on his coat. "But every day I watch you... I see a woman who fought tooth and nail to protect her child in a world that gave her nothing. You have more courage than half the men who work for me."
Belle looked down, her cheeks flushing warm despite the chilly wind. "I'm just a mother, Dominic. I do what I have to do."
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"And I am just a father," Dominic whispered, his fingers gently reaching out to touch her jaw, lifting her face so her blue eyes met his. "And I won't let anyone hurt you again, Belle. Not Julian Ashford, not the cold, and not this city."
For a heart-stopping second, Belle forgot how to breathe. The terrifying mafia boss vanished, leaving behind a man whose touch was unbelievably gentle, whose eyes held a fierce, protective warmth she had never known in her life.
