The Boss Wants Me BackChapter 1
I lost my son when a reckless carriage struck me on the old trade route while I was returning from the family gathering. The shock sent me straight to the doctor’s quarters, and the child I carried did not survive the blood loss. Today marked the second month since the funeral rites, and Darian had agreed to accompany me to the Don’s private clinic for my checkup.
When he offered a hasty excuse and turned to leave, I didn’t stop him. I no longer clutched at his coat or begged him to stay by my side like I once had, in the days when loyalty and affection bound us tightly.
Watching his back fade into the shadows of the alleyway, a strange calm settled over me. It was as if the invisible chain that had tethered my heart to his had finally slackened. I realized then that whether he stood near or far no longer stirred my blood as it once did. His absence no longer cut me the way it used to.
A young medic called my name, and I accepted the prescribed remedies and the Don’s counsel in silence before making my way back alone through the empty streets.
Not long after, a courier arrived with a note. It read: Liora, return to the estate on your own. I have urgent matters to handle within the family.
In earlier days, I would have sent a frantic message through our network, demanding he come for me, begging for his company. Now, such words felt hollow—wasted breath fading in the night air. I replied simply, Very well.
I left the clinic grounds and hired a carriage back to the estate. As we passed the river bend, I caught sight of Darian’s horse tied near the old oak, inexplicably waiting. Strange—had he not claimed he couldn’t escort me?
When I reached the estate, a notice pinned in the hall caught my eye. Selara had tagged him in her message: “Just a mild fever, yet he insisted on bringing me to the doctor and has stayed by my side ever since. After everything, you’re still my truest protector.”
Selara Davis—his childhood ally. Years ago, she left our territory to marry a wealthy lord in the mountains. Last winter, fortune turned against her; her husband ruined, the marriage dissolved, and she returned with a young child.