Without a logical reason, a physical heaviness took hold of him, making it hard to breathe. It wasn’t a notification on his phone or an alarm on his computer, but a gut instinct that screamed for his attention.
His gaze landed on a small, dusty photo of Rosalie holding a newborn Audrey in a field of wildflowers. The warmth in her eyes seemed to challenge the cold, sterile environment of his executive suite.
Suddenly, Dominic pushed his chair back and grabbed his coat. He looked at his assistant and told her to clear his entire schedule for the following day.
“Sir, the merger meeting in Dallas is at eight in the morning,” she reminded him with a confused look. Dominic didn’t hesitate as he replied, “Tell them I had an emergency, because I’m going home right now.”
He was in his car within minutes, speeding away from the city lights toward their secluded property in the suburbs of Scottsdale. The drive was a blur of wipers hitting the glass and his own heart thudding against his ribs.
As he pulled through the iron gates, the sight of the house sent a chill down his spine. The grand windows were mostly dark, and the porch light was flickering as if it were about to give out.
The silence that greeted him when he stepped into the foyer was not peaceful but oppressive. He walked softly across the hardwood floors, noticing the air felt stagnant and neglected.
From the direction of the sunken living room, he heard a sound that made his blood turn to ice. It was a stifled, rhythmic sobbing that sounded like a child trying to disappear into the floorboards.
“Please, Toby, stop crying so we don’t get in trouble,” Audrey whispered in a voice thick with terror. Dominic rounded the corner and saw a scene that shattered his heart into a thousand pieces.
Audrey was huddled behind a high-backed chair, her hair matted and her pajamas stained with juice. She was cradling Toby, who was shaking with silent tremors and hiding his face in her neck.
Priscilla stood a few feet away, holding a tall glass of wine with an expression of pure, icy boredom. “I told you to be silent, or I would put you both in the basement until morning,” she snapped at the children.
Dominic stepped into the light and boomed, “That is enough!” Priscilla jumped, nearly dropping her glass as she scrambled to regain her practiced composure.