The velvet of Violet's dress felt heavy and warm as she remained anchored on Roman's lap. The room was silent for a long beat after her confession, the air thick with the residue of her past. She felt his heart beating against her back- a steady, powerful rhythm that seemed to challenge the very existence of the man who was hunting her.
But as the gravity of her story settled, a new curiosity flickered in her mind. She had shared her darkest secret, her deepest shame, and yet she knew so little of the man who now held her life in his hands. She shifted slightly, the purple velvet shimmering under his touch, and looked him in the eye.
"Now it's your turn to answer a question of mine," Violet said, her voice reclaiming a sliver of its usual edge.
Roman's thumb slowed its trek across her hip. He looked at her, his expression unreadable but open. "Anything."
Violet took a breath, glancing toward the door as if expecting a ghost to appear. "Where is Adam's mother? I've been here for a while now, living in your house, raising your son, and I haven't seen so much as a shadow of her. I haven't seen one crazy baby mama lurking around, no court dates for custody, nothing. It's... unnervingly quiet on that front."
To her surprise, Roman didn't stiffen. He didn't grow cold or pull away. Instead, a low, rumbling sound started in his chest, erupting into a genuine laugh- the kind of laugh that reached his eyes and made the harsh lines of his face dissolve into something breathtakingly human. It was a glow she had only seen glimpses of when he looked at Adam.
"Are you asking me if I have another woman in the picture, Violet?" he teased, his voice vibrating through her. "Are you checking for competition?"
Violet's face went from pale to a vivid pink that rivaled the deep purple of her dress. "N-no! Not like that! Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Thorne," she stammered, her sass returning as a defense mechanism. "I'm just curious. Adam is a wonderful child, and he clearly adores you, but he never mentions her. It's like she never existed."
Roman's laughter died down, replaced by a cool, clinical calm. He leaned his head back against the leather of his chair, staring up at the ornate molding of the ceiling for a moment before looking back at her.
"She doesn't exist," he said, his voice flat. "Not in his world. And certainly not in mine."
He adjusted his grip on her waist, pulling her a fraction closer as if to ensure she wouldn't run from the story he was about to tell.
"It wasn't a romance, Violet. It wasn't even a mistake I can pretend to regret. It was a one-night stand. A moment of poor judgment after a particularly grueling merger six years ago. Her name isn't important. What is important is that she called me three months later to tell me she was pregnant."
Violet watched him, her breath held. The way he spoke was detached, as if he were recounting a corporate acquisition rather than the conception of his child.
"She told me she wanted an abortion," Roman continued, his eyes turning to chips of ice. "She didn't want the burden. She didn't want the stretch marks. She wanted a payout to make the 'problem' go away. I told her no."
Violet blinked. "You told her no?"
"I told her that if the child was mine, I would keep it. I told her I would take full responsibility, and she could be free. No strings, no child support, no shared holidays. She could walk away the moment the cord was cut." Roman's lip curled into a slight, mocking sneer. "But she was a scavenger, much like the Vanes. The moment she realized I wasn't going to just hand her a check to disappear, her tune changed. Suddenly, she was 'in love.' Suddenly, she wanted us to be a family. She tried to play the part of the doting mother-to-be, hoping she could worm her way into a marriage certificate and a Thorne bank account."
He sighed, his fingers tightening briefly on Violet's velvet-clad hip. "I saw through it in an afternoon. She didn't want the baby; she wanted the vault. I stayed true to my word, though. I provided the best doctors, the best care, and a security team to ensure she didn't 'accidentally' fall down a flight of stairs to get an early settlement."
Violet shivered. The brutality in his voice was chilling, a reminder that the man holding her could be utterly heartless when he felt he was being played.
"The day Adam was born," Roman said, his voice softening just a fraction at the mention of his son, "I had the DNA testing done before he was even cleaned up. The second it came back positive, I handed her the final paperwork. She had already signed over all her parental rights in exchange for a single, lump-sum payment. I kicked her to the curb before she could even ask for a room in the estate. She took the money and vanished. I haven't heard from her since, and frankly, if she were to walk in front of my car tomorrow, I wouldn't find the need to brake."
Violet sat in stunned silence. It was a brutal, cold-blooded way to handle a human life, yet as she looked at Roman, she saw the fierce, protective father who had spent every moment since then making sure Adam never felt that lack of love. He had pruned a weed so that his son could grow in a garden.
"That... sounds incredibly harsh, Roman," she whispered.
"It was necessary," he replied firmly. "Adam deserves a life built on truth, not a mother who views him as a paycheck. By the way she described him during the pregnancy- as an 'it,' an 'obstacle'- she wouldn't have been a pleasant addition to his life. She was a hollow person, Violet. She signed him away without a single tear."
He reached up, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing over her lower lip. "Then you walked into our lives. You, who fights for him. You, who kisses his head and plays in a cottage meant for kids. You are more of a mother to him in a few weeks than she was in nine months of carrying him."
Violet felt the weight of his words settle in her chest. She had judged him for being a "brute," but hearing how he had fought for Adam's right to exist- even when the mother didn't want him- made her see the dragon in a whole new light. He wasn't just guarding gold; he was guarding a soul.
"I think you did the right thing," she said softly, leaning her face into his palm. "Brutal or not. Adam is... he's a light. He shouldn't be dimmed by someone like that."
Roman's eyes darkened, the possessive fire returning as he looked at her in her purple velvet. "Exactly. And I won't let anyone dim your light either, Violet. Not Vane. And certainly not the man who thinks he bought you."
He leaned in, his nose brushing hers, the scent of him- cedar and something uniquely Roman, filling her senses. "Now, no more talk of ghosts. You have a set to sing, and I have a son to keep safe."
Violet smiled, a sassy, lingering look in her eyes as she prepared to stand up. "You know, for a man with no 'crazy baby mamas,' you certainly have a lot of drama, Mr. Thorne."
"It keeps life interesting," he growled, letting her stand but keeping his eyes locked on her as the velvet dress swirled around her ankles. "Go. Sing for the sky. I'll be listening."
As Violet walked toward the door, she felt his gaze on her back like a physical heat. She was a technical wife on the run, and he was a man who had bought his son's freedom- two broken people building a fortress out of velvet and stone.