Chapter 5 - Sophie’s Arrival
At 8:25 AM, two massive black armored SUVs pulled up the long driveway, their tires grinding heavily against the wet gravel.
The rear door opened, and seven-year-old Sophie Reed tumbled out, her pink backpack bouncing against her shoulders, followed by an elderly woman holding a leather purse.
"Mommy!" Sophie shrieked, running across the black marble foyer as Hannah sprinted down the grand staircase to meet her.
Hannah dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her daughter, burying her face in Sophie’s dark curls. She held her so tightly that Sophie gasped for air.
"Mommy, you're squeezing too hard!" Sophie giggled.
"I'm sorry, baby," Hannah whispered, pulling back to check her daughter’s face, her hands, her arms, verifying with a mother’s frantic eye that she was completely unharmed. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Sophie said, her big brown eyes shining with excitement. "A really nice man in a suit gave me hot chocolate in the big black car! He said we get to stay in a castle!"
Mrs. Patterson walked up behind her, looking thoroughly bewildered. "Hannah... two men in tactical vests showed up at my door, showed me badges, and said Mr. Vale had ordered an emergency transfer. What in the world is going on?"
"It’s okay, Mrs. Patterson," Hannah said, standing up and taking her neighbor's hand. "It’s a security precaution for my job. You're safe here."
From the upper landing of the staircase, three small heads poked out between the iron railings.
Lucas, Mason, and Theo watched the new girl with intense curiosity.
Sophie looked up, catching sight of the triplets. She didn't hide behind her mother. Instead, she took three steps forward, put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head back.
"Are you the boys my mommy has to take care of?" she called out.
Mason leaned over the railing. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sophie," she declared proudly. "And this is my mommy. If you throw things at her, I'll kick your shins."
Mason’s jaw dropped. Lucas narrowed his eyes. Theo, surprisingly, let out a tiny, genuine giggle that he quickly smothered with his hand.
Dominic walked out of his office, his eyes instantly tracking the small girl standing in the middle of his foyer.
Sophie turned, looking at the massive man in the charcoal suit. She didn't flinch. She walked right up to him, stopping at his polished leather shoes, and looked up into his terrifying gray eyes.
"Are you the king of the castle?" she asked.
The armed security guards standing near the front door held their breath. Nobody spoke to Dominic Vale like that.
Dominic looked down at the tiny seven-year-old girl. Slowly, deliberately, the most feared man in New York dropped down onto one knee, bringing himself eye-level with her.
"I am Dominic," he said, his raspy voice surprisingly soft. "And this is your home now, Sophie. Nobody here will ever hurt you."
Sophie nodded approvingly. "Good. Because my mommy worked really hard to pay our rent, and I like this castle better than Queens."
Dominic looked up over Sophie’s head at Hannah. A subtle, rare smile touched the corner of his lips—a real, genuine human expression that transformed his hard face into something striking and deeply handsome.
"Your daughter has your spine, Mrs. Reed," Dominic said, standing back up.
"She’s a Reed," Hannah said, her heart swelling as she took Sophie’s hand. "We don't break easily."
"No," Dominic agreed, his gaze lingering on Hannah’s face with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. "I'm beginning to see that."
He turned to his chief security officer, Viktor, who stood near the door.
"Keep Mrs. Patterson and the children in the west wing play suite," Dominic ordered. "Double the perimeter guards. Julian Vance is currently in the corporate city office. Tell him I need him at the estate for an emergency board conference at four o'clock."
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"Yes, Mr. Vale," Viktor said, bowing his head. "And the local police?"
"There will be no police," Dominic said coldly. "This is a family matter."
