Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary on Lake Shore DriveThe iron gates of Alexander Hayes’s estate on Lake Shore Drive swung open smoothly as his black town car glided up the private, tree-lined driveway. The mansion was a sprawling masterpiece of Gothic revival architecture, nestled behind high stone walls and surrounded by manicured gardens that overlooked the churning gray waters of Lake Michigan.
In the back seat, the four girls were wide-eyed, pressing their faces against the tinted windows as they took in the scale of the property. They had expected a safehouse or a temporary hiding spot; instead, they had been brought directly into the heart of the beast’s lair.
“Is this a castle?” the smallest one asked, her voice filled with awe as the car rolled to a stop beneath the grand stone portico.
“Something like that,” Alexander replied calmly, opening his door and stepping out into the crisp air.
He held out a hand to help Catherine out of the vehicle. She looked deeply uncomfortable, her fingers barely brushing his sleeve as she stepped onto the cobblestone drive, her daughters clinging tightly to her coat tails.
“Mr. Hayes, I appreciate your help at the café, truly I do,” Catherine said, her voice laced with defensive anxiety as she looked up at the towering facade of the mansion. “But we cannot stay here. This is... this is insane. You’re a dangerous man, everyone in Chicago knows what you do, and I cannot bring my girls into a warzone.”
Before Alexander could answer, the massive oak front doors swung open, and a tall, sharp-featured teenager stepped out onto the porch. Ethan Hayes was fourteen, possessing his father’s dark hair and piercing gray eyes, dressed in a casual hoodie and jeans with a school binder tucked under his arm. He stopped dead on the top step, staring in utter disbelief at the surreal scene unfolding in his driveway: his formidable, untouchable father standing beside a pale, elegant woman and four identical little girls in navy coats.
“Dad?” Ethan called out, his voice cracking slightly with bewilderment. “What... what is all this? Did we adopt a daycare while I was at school?”
Alexander offered a rare, faint smirk as he walked up the steps, resting a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder. “Ethan, meet Catherine, Chloe, Maya, Lily, and Zoe. They’re going to be staying with us for a few days.”
Ethan stared at the four little girls, who stared right back at him with matching expressions of intense scrutiny. Then he looked at his father, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and profound amusement.
“Dad,” Ethan said slowly, lowering his voice. “Did you just rescue a family off the street like a stray dog?”
“Shut up, Ethan,” Alexander said dryly, though there was no heat in his voice. He turned back to Catherine, who was standing at the foot of the steps, looking exhausted and overwhelmed. “Mrs. Vance, your home has been compromised by a man who believes he owns your debt. Until my security detail clears your property and ensures Mercer cannot reach you, you are staying here. And nobody touches you while you're under my roof.”
Catherine opened her mouth to argue, but the sheer, exhausting weight of the past year broke through her defenses. Her shoulders sagged, and a quiet, defeated tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't have anywhere else to go. Mercer had frozen her accounts, threatened her family, and left her cornered.
May you like
Swallowing her pride, Catherine nodded slowly. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes.”
“Call me Alexander,” he said quietly, gesturing toward the open doors. “Welcome to your home for the next few days.”
