Chapter 262: ~ 262
Chapter 262
~Franklin~
I was currently calculating the exact time it would take to fling my cousin Flynn directly over the twelve-foot security gates of the estate.
A deep, suffocating annoyance clawed at my throat just looking at him. Flynn and I had never gotten along. Not as children, not as teenagers, and certainly not now as grown men. He was an erratic, unpredictable storm of pure chaos, and I was a man who demanded absolute, meticulous control over my environment.
Especially tonight. My wife was recovering from childbirth, and my five-pound newborn daughter was currently resting in a fragile, pristine bubble of security. The last thing this house needed was Flynn’s erratic energy vibrating through the hallways.
"Olga," I barked, my voice low but carrying a sharp, commanding edge that brooked no argument. The head nanny stepped forward immediately, her expression turning professional. "Take baby Lael upstairs instantly."
"Alright Mr. Flemington," Olga murmured, carefully lifting the infant carrier with practiced, gentle movements and heading straight for the private elevator.
I turned my attention to the beautiful, pale woman standing beside me, whose eyes were still wide with sheer skepticism and curiosity. I wrapped my large hand around her waist, anchoring her against my side.
"Go upstairs and rest, sweetheart," I murmured, my voice softening drastically into a quiet, private register meant only for her. I leaned down, pressing a firm, lingering kiss against her warm forehead. "The doctor said you need a massive amount of sleep to recover. Go. I promise I will explain everything about him later."
"Oh, wow. Look at that. The great, terrifying Franklin Flemington actually has a heart," Flynn’s voice chimed in from across the marble foyer. He leaned against the grand banister, a mocking, amused look on his face. "How romantic. Truly, I might just shed a tear right here."
I didn’t even look at him. I kept my gaze locked on Octavia until she gave me a slow, understanding nod, her fingers squeezing my hand once in reassurance before she followed Olga toward the elevator. I watched the doors slide shut, ensuring my family was safely out of the immediate blast zone.
The moment the elevator indicator light moved upward, the soft, patient husband vanished. I snapped around, my eyes darkening until they were pitch-black, focusing entirely on the young man who was currently treating my pristine foyer like a hotel lounge.
"Pick up your bag," I said, my baritone dropping into a terrifyingly quiet, dangerous threat. I pointed a single, scarred finger toward the heavy mahogany front doors. "And get the hell out of my house."
"Oh, come on, cuzzo, don’t be a buzzkill," Flynn chuckled, tossing his unlabelled bottle of wine from hand to hand with reckless ease. "I just got here. The traffic from JFK was an absolute nightmare."
"I don’t care if you crawled here on your hands and knees," I rumbled, taking a slow, menacing step toward him. "You are not staying under my roof. Leave. Now."
"Franklin, that is enough."
The stern voice cut through the heavy tension of the room. I stiffened, turning my head to look at grandpa.
"Grandfather," I warned, my tone tight with disbelief. "He cannot stay here."
"He can, and he will," Grandfather countered calmly, his sharp eyes locking onto mine with absolute authority. "Flynn is your cousin, Franklin. He is family, and a family member is welcome in this house anytime he pleases. We do not turn our own away at the doorstep."
I stared at Grandfather, a muscle jumping violently in my clenched jaw. I knew exactly how Grandfather’s mind worked, but forcing an unpredictable element like Flynn into my home right after my daughter’s birth felt like a massive security breach.
Grandfather turned his gaze away from me, looking toward the formal hallway. "Clarence."
He stepped out from the shadows of the corridor, bowing his head respectfully. "Yes, Mr. Flemington?"
"Show Flynn to the east wing guest suite," Grandfather instructed smoothly. "Ensure he has everything he needs for a comfortable stay."
"Right away, sir," Clarence replied, stepping forward to pick up Flynn’s heavy leather duffel bag from the floor.
Flynn flashed a bright, victorious grin, throwing his arms out wide. "See? This is why Grandfather is my absolute favorite. Always the voice of reason. Thanks, Grandpa!"
Before he could take a single step toward the hallway, I crossed the distance between us in a fraction of a second. I planted my massive frame directly in his path, forcing him to halt. I didn’t get physical, not with Grandfather standing right there, but I leaned down, giving him a vicious, suffocating glare.
"Listen to me very carefully," I whispered. "I am going to give you a very short, very strict list of house rules. If you wake up my daughter, if you cause a single ounce of stress to my wife, or if you even breathe too loudly near them, I will personally—"
"I get it, I get it, big guy," Flynn cut me off playfully, completely unfazed by the threat of violence. He raised a hand and gave me a careless, salute, his mischievous eyes dancing with pure amusement. "No loud breathing, no waking the princess, no stressing the queen. Got it. Crystal clear, cuzzo. Sleep tight!"
He followed Clarence down the long hallway toward the guest wing.
A deep, raging frustration boiled inside my chest. I had never gotten along with Flynn, and having him inside my fortress felt like a ticking time bomb.
I turned to look at Grandfather, ready to demand a real explanation, but the elderly man simply turned on his heel and walked toward his private study, leaving me alone in the silent foyer.
Grounded by an overwhelming urge to check on my family, I turned and took the stairs two at a time.
I let out a long, ragged breath, the heavy tension slowly draining from my shoulders as I walked into the room. I approached the beautifully carved white wooden cot resting right beside our bed.
I leaned over the railing, my eyes instantly softening as I looked down at baby Lael. She was sleeping soundly, her tiny chest rising and falling in a perfect, steady rhythm. Her little hands were curled into tiny fists near her chin.
I reached out, my massive, scarred index finger gently caressing the impossibly soft skin of her tiny cheek.
"Daddy will protect you," I whispered into the quiet room, a sudden, fierce wave of possessive devotion slamming into my heart. "Nobody is going to disrupt your peace. I promise you."
I straightened up, turning toward the massive king-sized bed. Octavia was already fast asleep, lying on her side with her face buried in a sea of silk pillows. The extreme exhaustion of a multi-hour labor was finally catching up to her body. The primary obstetrician’s words echoed in my mind, warning me that she needed uninterrupted rest to heal properly from the delivery.
I climbed onto the mattress with extreme care, making sure the bed didn’t shift or make a sound. I crawled over to her side, leaning over her beautiful, serene face. A few stray strands of dark hair had fallen across her cheek, and I gently, reverently brushed them behind her ear.
"I promise you, Octavia," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion as I stared at my brilliant queen. "I won’t let anything harm you. Not now. Not ever. I will tell you everything about Flynn the second you wake up."
I settled back against the pillows, my arm resting behind my head as I stared up at the high, vaulted ceiling of the darkened room.
Even though my family was safe and asleep right beside me, my mind was absolutely racing, the gears turning with violent precision.
What the hell is Flynn doing here? I thought to myself, my eyes narrowing into the darkness.
Why now?
Why did he choose the exact day, the exact hour, that I brought my newborn daughter home from the hospital to make his dramatic, arrogant entrance? Flynn never did anything without a hidden, mischievous motive. He was a wild card, an unpredictable force.
I closed my eyes.
Flynn could play his goofy, careless games all he wanted. But if he thought he could bring his chaos into my home, he was about to learn exactly why I was the most feared man in this empire.
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