Chapter 2 - The Fortress
The interior of the Cross estate was an intricate balance of brutal security and quiet, breathtaking luxury. High ceilings with hand-carved mahogany beams rose above marble floors covered in thick Persian rugs. Every corridor was guarded by silent, sharp-eyed men wearing dark suits and tactical holsters, yet the air smelled faintly of beeswax, lavender, and rich espresso.
Nathan led me up a grand spiral staircase to the second floor, stopping before a pair of heavy double doors.
"These were my late wife's quarters," Nathan said, his hand resting on the brass handle. He didn't look at me as he spoke. "They have been sealed since she died during Rose's birth four months ago. It is the most secure wing of the house."
He pushed the doors open. The suite was immense—a private sitting room with a stone fireplace, a king-sized bed covered in cream silk, a nursery adjoining through an archway, and a massive marble bathroom. In the nursery, a beautifully carved walnut crib stood ready, surrounded by unopened boxes of high-end baby supplies.
"My staff has already stocked the room with formula, clothes, and medical supplies," Nathan said, stepping inside. "Though... given the circumstances, the formula will not be necessary."
I walked over to the crib, gently laying Rose inside. She stirred slightly, letting out a small sigh, before settling back into a deep sleep.
"You haven't been living here with her, have you?" I asked softly, noticing the pristine, untouched state of the nursery.
Nathan stood near the doorway, his silhouette stark against the warm light of the hallway. "Rose has spent the last three months in a private medical facility under round-the-clock guard. She was born with a severe digestive condition. Her mother's death... complications during delivery... left Rose unable to process artificial formulas. We flew across the country to see a specialist in Chicago who promised a breakthrough treatment."
"And it failed," I murmured, remembering the baby's weak, breathless cries on the jet.
"The specialist was bribed by Moretti's men to sabotage her care," Nathan spat, a terrifying flash of murderous rage passing through his eyes before he clamped it down. "They wanted her to die slowly. They wanted to break me from the inside out without firing a single bullet. By the time I realized what was happening and boarded my jet, she was starving. If you had not been on that plane..."
He stopped. He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.
"Why was I on that plane, Nathan?" I asked, turning to face him. "I booked a commercial flight from Boston to New York. At the last minute, the gate agent told me my ticket was upgraded to a private charter service due to overbooking."
"That was my doing," Nathan admitted coldly. "My intelligence chief flagged your name on the passenger manifest. I knew who you were. I knew you were Thomas Brooks's widow. I intended to have my men intercept you in New York to question you about your husband's hidden files. I never intended for you to get anywhere near my daughter."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "So I was your prisoner before I even stepped foot on that aircraft."
"You were a variable I intended to control," Nathan corrected smoothly. "Now, you are the reason my daughter is alive. The rules have changed."
He walked over to a small mahogany desk near the window, unlocking a leather folder and pulling out a silver satellite phone. He set it on the desk alongside a sleek silver keycard.
"This card grants you access to this wing and the private courtyard below," Nathan explained. "The phone connects directly to me and my chief of security, Viktor. You do not leave this estate. You do not answer external calls. You do not step near unprotected windows."
"And how long am I supposed to live as your prisoner?" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists.
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Nathan walked up to me until he was standing so close I could feel the heat radiating from his chest. He looked down at me, his gaze sweeping over my pale face, the dark circles under my eyes, and the wet spots on my simple blouse.
"Until every man involved in your husband's death and my daughter's starvation is dead," Nathan said softly. "You saved my child's life, Elena. I promise you, on the memory of my ancestors, I will give you your vengeance."
