Chapter 9
The secure suite was located in a heavily fortified wing behind the main administrative offices of the conservatory. The thick, soundproof doors required dual biometric scans to open, ensuring that whoever was inside remained entirely cut off from the outside world. Roxanne pressed her thumb to the scanner, the heavy steel locks clicking open with a mechanical hiss.
She stepped inside, her wet heels sinking into the plush, expensive carpeting. The room was softly lit, designed to provide comfort and absolute safety. Her two most trusted bodyguards stood like statues just inside the doorway, nodding respectfully as she entered.
"He's in the bedroom, Boss," the taller guard murmured quietly. "He hasn't spoken since we brought him in."
"Wait outside," Roxanne instructed softly. "Both of you."
The guards exited silently, pulling the heavy door shut behind them. Roxanne walked slowly toward the adjoining bedroom, the adrenaline completely gone now, leaving behind a heavy, aching exhaustion. She pushed the bedroom door open.
Malik was sitting in the center of a massive, king-sized bed, his knees pulled up to his chest. He was wrapped tightly in a thick, warm blanket, but he still wore his tiny tuxedo trousers and his damp button-down shirt. His velvet vest and the heavy black blazer Roxanne had wrapped him in were draped over a nearby chair. He looked incredibly small, his large brown eyes staring blankly at the wall, completely traumatized by the violence and betrayal he had just endured.
"Malik," Roxanne said softly, her voice carrying none of the lethal edge she used to run her empire. She was just a mother now.
Malik slowly turned his head. When he saw her, his lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably. "Mommy..." he whispered, his voice cracking.
Roxanne hurried over to the bed, ignoring the wet silk of her jumpsuit as she climbed onto the mattress and pulled her son tightly into her arms. Malik buried his face in her chest, his small body shaking as he finally broke down into loud, ragged sobs. He clung to her fiercely, his tiny fingers grasping handfuls of her emerald silk.
"I know, baby. I know," Roxanne whispered, tears finally blurring her own vision as she rocked him back and forth. She kissed the top of his head repeatedly. "You're safe now. Mommy's got you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. I promise."
"She pushed me," Malik cried, his words muffled against her chest. "The water was so deep, Mommy. It was dark. I couldn't breathe."
"I know, sweetheart," Roxanne murmured, her heart breaking at the sheer terror in his voice. She tightened her grip on him, a fierce, primal instinct surging through her. "But you were brave. You fought until I could reach you. And the people who did this to you have been punished. They will never come near you again."
"Are they gone?" Malik asked, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes.
"Yes," Roxanne said firmly, her voice leaving no room for doubt. "They are gone forever."
She spent the next hour simply holding him, murmuring soft words of comfort and reassurance until his sobs slowly subsided into quiet hiccups. Eventually, the sheer exhaustion of the ordeal overtook him, and his heavy eyelids fluttered shut. He fell asleep in her arms, his breathing finally returning to a slow, steady rhythm.
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Roxanne gently laid him down on the pillows, pulling the heavy blanket up to his chin. She brushed a stray curl from his forehead, watching him sleep for a long time. She knew that the events of tonight would fundamentally change him, just as it had changed her. The innocence of her son had been forcefully stripped away by the very family she had sworn to protect him from.
As she sat there in the quiet room, the encrypted cell phone in the pocket of her tailored black blazer buzzed softly.
