Chapter 5 - THE SANCTUARY IN BEDFORD
By 2:00 AM, a convoy of sleek black SUVs was gliding through the wrought-iron gates of the Vale Estate in Bedford, New York.
The estate was a magnificent stone manor surrounded by hundreds of acres of dense, private woodland. Floodlights illuminated the long winding driveway, and security guards in dark tactical gear stood at high-alert posts along the perimeter.
The triplets had slept through the entire hour-long drive, bundled safely in heavy blankets in the back of the armored vehicle.
Sebastian personally carried Noah and Owen in his arms, his massive frame effortlessly supporting both boys, while I carried Ivy. Watching him carry our sons up the grand limestone steps of the mansion felt like a surreal dream—a vision I had wept for during those endless, terrifying nights in the Queens shelter.
He led us upstairs to the master wing, placing the boys gently onto a king-sized bed covered in plush Egyptian cotton. I laid Ivy beside them, tucking the heavy duvet around their small bodies.
"They'll be safe here," Sebastian whispered, standing beside me at the foot of the bed. "Gavin is taking twenty men to sweep the estate grounds. No one enters without my personal voice authorization."
"Where are you going?" I asked, noticing he hadn't removed his suit jacket.
"To end this," Sebastian replied coldly.
"Sebastian, wait," I caught his sleeve. "It's two in the morning. Your grandfather is an eighty-two-year-old man—"
"My grandfather is a criminal who used forged medical records, bribery, and terror tactics against my wife!" Sebastian spat, his voice laced with venom. "He stole four years of their childhood, Maya! He watched me mourn our marriage while he arranged a business merger with the Hart family! He doesn't get to sleep tonight. He doesn't get to draw another peaceful breath."
He turned and grabbed my face in his large, warm hands, his thumbs gently wiping away a stray tear on my cheek.
"I am going to bring you the truth, Maya. And when I come back, I am going to spend the rest of my life making up for every single second I failed you."
Before I could answer, he leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against my forehead—a lingering, fierce kiss that sent a wave of electric heat crashing through my frozen heart.
He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his dark coat billowing behind him like the wings of a vengeful angel.
Two hours later, Sebastian’s limousine pulled up to the private executive entrance of Vale Tower in Manhattan.
The glass-and-steel skyscraper was dark, save for the top three floors—the penthouse suite of Arthur Vale.
Sebastian didn't use the keycard. He kicked open the private elevator doors, stepping inside with Gavin and four armed personal guards.
When the elevator chimed on the 80th floor, the doors slid open to reveal Arthur Vale sitting in a leather wingback chair in his grand library, sipping scotch. Standing beside him was Director Vance, looking visibly pale and holding a thick leather dossier.
Arthur didn't look surprised to see his grandson. He raised his glass in a calm, arrogant toast.
"I wondered how long it would take you to clear your head after your dramatic little outburst in Central Park," Arthur said smoothly, his voice gravelly with age. "Sit down, Sebastian. Let's discuss damage control for the Hart merger."
Sebastian didn't sit. He walked slowly across the Persian rug, his boots heavy against the quiet room, until he stood directly over his grandfather's chair.
Without saying a word, Sebastian reached out, grabbed Director Vance by the throat, and slammed the head of security onto the heavy oak desk, scattering glass and papers everywhere.
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"Sebastian!" Arthur shouted, rising from his chair in shock. "Have you lost your mind?!"
"Vance," Sebastian purred, his fingers tightening around the man's windpipe until Vance’s face turned blue. "You have five seconds to tell my grandfather who paid you to forge Maya's medical records four years ago. If you lie, I will throw you out of that window."
