Rowan cleared his throat, forcing a small smile as he looked back at Vaughn. “I try to be,” he replied, his voice low and steady. “But sometimes, being strong means knowing when to lean on others.”
Vaughn nodded, as if he understood the weight of Rowan’s words, even though he was too young to fully grasp their meaning. “That’s what Mommy says too,” Vaughn added with a thoughtful expression. “She says we’re stronger together.”
Rowan’s gaze flickered back to Amara, and for a brief moment, the intensity between them was palpable. They were both strong in their own ways, both warriors in a world that demanded it.
Vaughn’s simple words carried a truth that neither of them could deny… they were stronger together…
Amara’s expression softened as she looked at Rowan, and for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to see beyond the walls he had built around himself. There was more to him than the hardened exterior, more than the violence and the coldness that had defined him for so long.
But both of them were also aware of the reality of their lives altogether.. They were Enemies…
“Vaughn’s right,” Amara said quietly for Vaughn’s sake, breaking the silence that had settled between them. “We are stronger together.”
Rowan nodded, unable to argue with the truth of her words.
Both Harvey and Kyle looked at the scene in front of them. They couldn’t help but feel tears in their eyes as they saw the emotions in Rowan’s eyes.
Harvey stole a glance at his brother, his mind racing with thoughts he dared not voice aloud. Rowan was the formidable boss of the underworld, a man whose very name could strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. He was a master of control, his expressions often masked behind a veil of stoic indifference.
Yet here he was, looking at Vaughn with an almost palpable gentleness, his hardened features softened by the innocence of the child before him.
Harvey’s throat tightened with an unfamiliar sensation. He had seen Rowan in countless situations… standing over his adversaries with an iron gaze, negotiating deals with cold precision, commanding respect with a single look.
But never had he seen Rowan like this.. even not with himself after he had grown up..
It was as if this side of him had been awakened again, one that he had buried deep within, one that perhaps even Rowan himself had forgotten existed. The way Rowan looked at Vaughn, his expression filled with a mixture of longing and protectiveness, stirred something inside Harvey.
For a brief moment, Harvey allowed himself to imagine a different reality… one where Vaughn was Rowan’s son. He imagined the life Rowan could have led, away from the shadows and the bloodshed, a life where he could have been a father, a protector. How wonderful it would have been, he thought, if Vaughn were Rowan’s son.
The thought was bittersweet, a fleeting dream of a different path, a different life.
Meanwhile, Kyle was also caught in his own thoughts, observing the uncanny resemblance between Rowan and Vaughn.
The more he watched them, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to their connection than met the eye. Vaughn’s features, his expressions, even the way he carried himself, mirrored Rowan’s in so many subtle ways. It was as if the boy were a reflection of Rowan himself, a younger, untainted version.
Just.. How was it possible that Vaughn wasn’t his boss’s son?
The thought gnawed at him, his analytical mind unable to let go of the strange coincidence.
He glanced at Rowan again, noticing the way he held himself slightly apart from Vaughn, as if afraid to get too close, yet unable to tear his gaze away.
There was a conflict in Rowan’s eyes, a war between the hardened leader and the man who longed for something more, something he had lost or never had to begin with. Kyle had known Rowan for years, had seen him at his best and his worst, but this was something new, something raw and unguarded.
Vaughn, sensing the heavy atmosphere, looked up at Rowan with a curious expression. “Uncle Rowan,” he said, his voice soft and innocent, “why are you sad?”
The question seemed to catch Rowan off guard. He blinked, his gaze shifting from Vaughn to Amara and then back to Vaughn.
For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, his usual composure slipping. “I’m not sad, little one,” he finally replied, his voice steady but lacking its usual edge. “Just… thinking.”
Vaughn’s eyes widened with a child’s curiosity. “About what?”
Rowan hesitated, his eyes flickering with a thousand unspoken thoughts. “About things I wish could be different,” he said at last, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Vaughn glanced at Rowan in confusion, “Which things Uncle?”
Rowan tore his gaze away from Vaughn, his eyes shifting to the glow of his phone’s screen. He picked it up, his thumb swiping quickly across the display. Whatever he saw on the screen made his expression shift instantly , the softness in his eyes hardened once more as he glanced at Harvey and Kyle, replaced by the familiar, unyielding expression of the underworld boss. “We need to move,” he said, his voice cold and commanding. “It’s not safe here for long.”
Harvey and Kyle nodded, their own emotions quickly shoved aside in favor of practicality. They were used to following Rowan’s lead, accustomed to the abrupt changes in his demeanor.
Amara picked Vaughn up, holding him close to her chest.
Rowan moved to the door, his hand resting on the handle as he glanced back at them. “Stay close,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument. “And be ready for anything… I will drop you at Airport first.”
Amara looked at him, her expression conflicted. “My flight is at night,” she replied, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.
Rowan’s gaze didn’t waver. “You can stay at the airport. It’s safer there,” he insisted.
Amara nodded, understanding his reasoning. “I’ll call Lucas then,” she said, pulling out her phone.
Rowan gave a curt nod and opened the door, leading the way outside. The group moved quickly, each of them instinctively falling into position. In the car, Harvey sat in the passenger seat while Kyle took the wheel. Amara and Vaughn climbed into the back seat, settling beside Rowan. The air was thick with a sense of urgency, the need to move, to escape, pressing down on them.
As the car roared to life, the silence inside was almost deafening. Amara glanced at Rowan, who was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable. After a moment, she broke the silence, her voice soft but probing. “Are you not going back?”
Rowan’s jaw tightened, his eyes still focused on the road ahead. “I’ve got some things to handle,” he replied, his tone clipped.
Amara didn’t press further, sensing the weight of unspoken thoughts behind his words. She could see the strain in his posture, the way his shoulders were tense, the faint lines of pain etched into his face.