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Irene didn’t notice our arrival. She was busily brushing egg wash over the pastries laid out on a tray.
Noah, Corey, and Caleb looked up as soon as Civella walked in. They straightened up, wiping every trace of humor from their faces.
Civella stood still as he quietly watched his niece. His expression slowly softened and the murderous look vanished from his eyes.
Turning toward me, he gestured for me to step outside with him.
I followed him into the hallway, waiting for him to say something.
“Irene hasn’t been this happy since her parents died,” he said in a gentle voice. “I haven’t seen her smiling like this in ages.”
“What happened to her parents?” I asked, slowly walking away from the kitchen.
“My brother-in-law was killed in an attack. My sister got depressed after his death and it wasn’t long before she took her own life. Irene’s been left with me ever since.”
“How old was she when her mother died?”
“About five, I think,” he replied. “She’s seven now.”
Reaching the entrance hall, I took a seat on the sofa while Civella sat down on a nearby couch. His earlier cockiness was gone, replaced by an exhausted expression.
“Did your men find the site of the accident?” I asked.
“They did,” he said. “Both the kidnappers were dead.”
I gave a nod. “They were already dead by the time we got to Irene. It had to be traumatic for Irene to have stayed in the woods with two corpses. I can’t even imagine what was going on in her mind.”
“I can’t believe she single-handedly took down two men.”
“They didn’t expect it either but I’m glad you prepared her so well. It’s better she killed them. I couldn’t accept it if she died in their hands.”
Civella lowered his head and grabbed a chunk of his dark hair. “Little girls like her should be riding ponies and playing with dolls, not stabbing kidnappers and abusers.”
“She’ll be that girl if you give her a chance.”
“What?” He looked up at me with a desperate look.
“You saw how happy she is here.”
“Yeah, but she’ll go back to being quiet and moody when I take her back home.”
“I believe Irene needs to be away from the shadows of the underground world,” I said. “It’s a dangerous environment to grow up in. Even you know that she’ll always be under attack. Being your niece comes with a price, doesn’t it?”
“I do my best to keep her safe.”
“I know that but she’ll never be truly safe until her identity changes,” I said. “She’ll always be under fire from your enemies. Irene deserves a life filled with ponies, dolls, and princess gowns. She’s an innocent child who deserves the same as any other kid.”
“I give her everything she wants.”
“But you can’t give her the few things she needs,” I said. “Safety and warmth.”
Civella stayed quiet, his brows knitting together.
“I have a solution.”
He glanced up at me. “Solution?”
“I want to adopt Irene,” I said. “As my daughter, she’ll live her life under the sun. She’ll stay safe and happy.”
