Chapter 3 - The Cold Stare
Elena stood completely paralyzed by the open door. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She expected the notoriously dangerous man to explode in a terrifying rage, to summon his armed guards from the hallway and throw them both out into the freezing Chicago night.
Dominic didn't yell. He didn't move a single muscle.
Instead, he stared down at the tiny girl. The heavy knit blanket covered his shoulders, and the cool cloth on his forehead provided the first genuine relief he had felt in three agonizing days.
Rosie patted the blanket, looking at him with deep, serious blue eyes.
"You need a blanket when you sleep," Rosie stated firmly, as if giving an order to a disobedient child.
The terrifying mafia boss's hard, sweat-slicked expression slowly, incredibly, began to melt. His dark eyes lost their lethal edge. He raised a single, dark eyebrow, staring at the fearless toddler with genuine, quiet amusement.
"Do I?" Dominic asked, his voice quiet, raspy, and deeply curious.
Rosie nodded seriously, patting the blanket one last time to ensure it was secure.
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"Otherwise," Rosie smiled sweetly, entirely innocent to the power of the man she was talking to, "your toes get lonely."
👉 Why is the mafia boss suddenly looking past the child and glaring at her mother?
