Chapter 7 - The Confrontation at Dawn
The sun crept over Ashport Bay like a cold, bruised smear of orange and gray.
Sadie had not slept a wink. She sat in the armchair beside Elena, watching the first rays of light touch the edge of the mahogany dresser. At precisely six o'clock, a sharp, authoritative knock echoed at the door.
Before Sadie could stand, the door swung open.
Ronan Cain walked in. He looked as if he hadn't slept either; the sharp angles of his face were cast in harsh relief by the morning light, and his dark eyes burned with an unsettling, focused clarity.
"Get your bag, Miss Cole," Ronan said, his voice devoid of warmth. "You're coming with me."
Sadie stood up, her posture rigid. "Where?"
"To the docks," Ronan replied flatly. "Sector Four. The same place my brother's ship went down four years ago. It’s time we stopped playing games in the dark."
Fear spiked through Sadie’s veins like liquid fire, but she forced her chin up, refusing to cower before him. "I am a caregiver, Mr. Cain. My contract is with your mother, not your private investigations."
"Your contract is whatever I say it is," Ronan stepped closer, his imposing height casting a long shadow over her. "And as of twenty minutes ago, my men picked up an interesting piece of trash near your apartment building. A man trying to ask questions about a little girl named Poppy."
Sadie’s blood froze. The color drained entirely from her face.
"You... you touched her?" Sadie breathed, a lethal, protective rage momentarily overriding her terror. She lunged forward, her hands curling into fists. "If you hurt her—"
"I didn't touch her," Ronan interrupted, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register, though a flicker of respect flashed in his dark eyes. "My men intercepted the men looking for her. Rivals from the old syndicate who believe Julian didn't drown alone—that someone walked away with the ledger. And they know my mother's new maid came from the exact same neighborhood."
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He grabbed Sadie by the elbow, his grip firm but not bruising, and pulled her toward the hallway.
"If you want to keep that little girl safe, Miss Cole, you're going to get in my car, and you're going to tell me every single word my brother said to you on the night he died."
