Chapter 2 - THE QUESTION OF NAMES
Dominic’s sharp dark eyes slowly shifted from his plate to the small, shivering girl standing on the polished hardwood floor. He didn't jump. He didn't display surprise, irritation, or anger. His gaze was analytical, calculating, yet strangely devoid of the cold hostility he usually offered uninvited strangers.
He took in every detail: the salt-crusted slush on her thin canvas shoes, the damp gray wool of her sweater, her reddened, trembling fingers, and the subtle, rhythmic rise and fall of the blanket tucked against her ribs.
"What's your name?" Dominic asked, his baritone voice deep, smooth, and entirely unhurried.
Emily took one tiny step back, her heels touching the edge of the velvet curtain, but she held his gaze. She recognized the terrifying aura of power surrounding the man in the dark burgundy suit, but the warmth radiating from the restaurant and the smell of the roasted duck kept her grounded.
"Emily," she answered softly.
Dominic’s eyes drifted down to the bundle in her arms. A small, pale arm had slipped free from the fold of the wool blanket, revealing tiny, trembling fingers.
"And him?" Dominic asked, gesturing faintly with a tilt of his chin.
"My brother," Emily said, her voice steadying slightly as she adjusted her grip to shield the baby's head. "Noah."
Dominic leaned forward, placing his elbows on the polished mahogany table, lacing his fingers together. The heavy gold signet ring on his pinky finger caught the amber glow of the chandelier above.
"When did he last eat, Emily?"
Emily hesitated. She bit her lower lip, looking down at the marble trim running along the carpeted floor. The silence in the VIP section was deafening; even the four security men held their breath, unused to seeing their boss engage in personal dialogue with a street child.
"This morning," Emily confessed quietly. "He had some water with a little sugar... but the milk ran out yesterday."
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Dominic didn't flinch, but a cold, imperceptible shift occurred in his eyes. Without turning his head, he reached across the white linen tablecloth, gripped the back of the plush leather chair positioned directly opposite him, and pulled it out.
"Sit," Dominic commanded gently.
