Chapter 3 - Dominic
“Lucy, you’ve got two more plates to put on the dining table,” Mrs. Kensington called out, her voice steady as she stood over the stove. The rich aroma of garlic and simmering tomatoes filled the air as she stirred the pot, the scent immediately curled around me as I stepped into the kitchen.
I had gotten home from work about thirty minutes before, but Mrs. Kensington’s rule stood firm, I had to shower before entering her kitchen. Her domain, her rules. And after more than a decade with us, I respected them as much as I respected her. Even though she was technically the housekeeper, she had become something much more over the years—a mother figure, not just to Lucy but to me and my brothers as well. She had a way of caring for us that went beyond her duties, filling the gaps our own mother had left behind.
“Mrs. Kay, something smells amazing,” I said, smiling as I grabbed a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator. The cool air washed over me, a welcome contrast to the heat from the stove.
“That’s because it’s my favorite, Daddy,” Lucy piped up, bouncing into the kitchen with a wide grin. Her eyes sparkled, their deep brown hue. “Spaghetti and meatballs.”
“With a fresh salad, since someone promised to eat her veggies if I made her favorite. Remember?” Mrs. Kensington shot a playful look at Lucy, her voice full of that gentle authority only she could pull off.
Lucy pouted, her little lip jutting out just enough to make you feel guilty for saying no to her. She nodded, her brown curls bouncing slightly with the movement.
Geez, she looked so much like her mother. Those big, round brown eyes, filled with innocence, were eyes I could never say no to. They mirrored the gaze of the only woman who ever truly stole my heart, and the only woman who ever shattered it to pieces. It had been four years since she left, walked out and never looked back. I hadn’t dated anyone since, pouring all my energy into work and raising Lucy, trying to fill the void in both our lives.
“And if you eat all your dinner, salad included,” Mrs. Kensington said, raising a brow at her, “you get…”
“A huge slice of chocolate cake!” Lucy grinned, her eyes lighting up as if the cake itself were already on her plate.
Mrs. Kensington laughed, her voice a soft hum of affection. “I’m not so sure about the huge part, but you’ll definitely get a slice.” She wiped her hands on her apron and pointed at the plates and utensils on the kitchen counter. “Now, finish setting the table, young lady. Your uncles will be arriving soon.”
Lucy, excited as ever, scurried off to place the last plates on the table in the dining room.
With Lucy out of earshot, Mrs. Kensington turned to me, her expression shifting from playful to sincere.
“How was work?” she asked, her hands skillfully stirring the pot, the fragrant steam swirling around us.
“Same old, same old,” I replied with a slight shrug, the familiar weight of the office hanging over me.
“Any plans for the weekend ahead?” Mrs. Kensington asked casually, glancing over her shoulder as she sprinkled a dash of spices into the bubbling sauce.
I chuckled, the corners of my mouth lifting. I knew exactly where this conversation was headed. “You know, Mrs. Kay, I’ve never known you to beat around the bush.” I took a long sip of my water, feeling the coolness refresh me as I kept my gaze focused on her warm, motherly eyes.
She placed the cover on her pot with a soft clank and turned off the stove, her brow slightly furrowed in concern. Just then, Lucy burst back into the room, her little hands filled with utensils, before scurrying out again with a giggle.
“When are you bringing home a wife, Mr. Quantum?” Mrs. Kensington asked, her voice now more direct but still laced with affection. “You can’t keep working yourself to the bone without a female companion to share your life with.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Kay,” I replied, a smile creeping onto my face despite her words. “Once I find her, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Once you find who?” Sebastien asked, striding into the kitchen with a bottle of wine in hand. He wore a sleeveless t-shirt that showcased his tattoos. He leaned down to plant a kiss on Mrs. Kensington’s cheek, before placing the wine bottle on the kitchen counter.
“Mrs. Kay wants Daddy to find a wife,” Lucy chimed in, skipping into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around Sebastien’s waist. “Hi, Uncle Seb!”
I shot a quick glance at Lucy, a mix of admiration and sadness swirling in my chest; her perceptiveness was a reminder of how quickly she was growing up, despite our attempts to keep things hidden from her.
“Hey, Lucy!” he replied, tousling her hair with a grin before lifting her effortlessly onto the kitchen counter, bringing her face-to-face with him. “Is that so? A wife, huh? And what do you think about that?”
“Seb—” I shot him a stern look, hoping to redirect the conversation, but he just waved me off, focusing on Lucy.
“It would be nice to have a mommy,” Lucy admitted, her voice small as a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes. “And I’d be just like the other kids at school.” My heart ached at her words, her longing pressing down on me.
“Don’t worry, princess,” Seb said gently, a playful glint in his eye. “Uncle Seb will help find you a mommy.”
Lucy always had her uncles wrapped around her finger; they’d do anything to make her happy. The only problem was, how in the world was Seb going to turn that promise into a reality?
“Are we on the topic of finding Dom a wife, again?”
Lucy’s eyes lit up, her excitement infectious. “Uncle Leo!”
Sebastien helped her off the counter, and she dashed towards Leonardo, wrapping her small arms around his thick, muscular leg, which seemed to dominate the kitchen doorway. He was built more like a lumberjack than the high-profile lawyer he was, with broad shoulders and a friendly smile that could disarm anyone. At just thirty-three, he had his own law firm and, to date, he hadn’t lost a case, something he took every opportunity to remind us of.
With a gentle chuckle, he lifted Lucy into his arms, her giggles echoing through the kitchen as he presented her with a gift bag. “This is for you. Hey, guys! Hey, Mrs. Kensington.”
“Hi, Leo.” Mrs. Kensington smiled. “Let me start putting dinner on the table; you boys must be hungry.”
As Mrs. Kensington began setting dinner on the table, Lucy eagerly followed her, helping while Sebastien, Leonardo, and I engaged in conversation in the kitchen.
Sebastien leaned against the counter, casually. “So, how did the interview with Emily go?”
I shot him a pointed look. “How did you know about the interview?”
He shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I have my ways.”
“Emily, as in Emily Montgomery? Victor’s daughter?” Leo interjected, his expression sharpening.
“Yup, the one and only,” Seb stated, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Look, she sent in an application for the internship. Was I supposed to ignore it?” I shot back, my voice firm.
Leo shrugged. “You could have. Nate filled me in on the whole Victor situation. Trust me, now is not the time to get your hands dirty with his daughter.”
Sebastien crossed his arms, his casual demeanor shifting into something more serious. “I agree. Things could backfire. Your beef is with Victor, not her. Don’t lose focus.”
“Oh, is it? If I want to make Victor hurt the most, Emily is my best target. She came to me; I didn’t go seeking her out,” I informed them.
“And what if someone comes after Lucy because of your choices?” Leo countered, his tone a mix of concern and caution.
I met his gaze without flinching. “That’s a risk we all signed up for whether we know it or not. She has five amazing uncles to protect her. Emily is vulnerable; it’s not my fault she lacks a solid support system. All she has is that college friend Kristi, that conniving witch Amber, and her pathetic excuse for a father, Victor. She’s an easy target.”
“Wait, you did a background check on her?” Seb asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I have my guys do background checks on everyone I interview, it’s typical protocol.”
Leo's eyes narrowed, his voice low and cautious. “I don’t like this one bit. Karma can be a bitch, Dominic.”
“Ohhh, Uncle Leo said a bad word!” Lucy declared dramatically as she walked in, her eyes wide with horror.
I raised an eyebrow at Leo.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It won’t happen again,” he replied with a sheepish grin, trying to suppress a laugh.
Muffled voices echoed in the hallway, gradually becoming clearer as they approached the kitchen.
“All I’m saying is you need to ramp up the PR for the company. With all the garbage Victor's spewing online, you have to be out there fixing the damage,” Nathaniel said as he addressed Vincent, the face of Quantum Tech.
“And all I’m saying is that I need to have a word with the boss first. Don’t forget the chain of command, bro.” Vincent was the kind of guy who could have you eating out of his hand in two minutes flat, effortlessly talking his way out of any situation.
“Hey, guys, is dinner ready? I’m starving,” Vincent called out, swaggering into the room and giving us pats on the back.
“You’re always starving, Uncle Vince,” Lucy chimed in, reentering the room with a playful roll of her eyes.
Vincent leaned down to kiss Lucy on her forehead, a warm smile spreading across his face. “That’s because Mrs. Kay cooks the best meals ever!”
“Vincent,” Mrs. Kensington smiled as she walked in behind Lucy, “I know what you’re doing, trying to charm an old lady for extra dessert.”
“Old? I don’t see any old ladies here,” he grinned, moving over to snake his arm around her shoulders. “What I see is a vibrant, amazing chef.” Then Vincent looked around, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, Mrs. Kay, have these hooligans been standing here doing nothing while you and Lucy set the table alone?” He gently removed the dish from Mrs. Kensington’s hands. “Let me get that for you. Come on, guys, let’s go before the food gets cold!”
Mrs. Kensington laughed, her eyes twinkling with delight, as we all hurried to finish setting the table. On nights when my brothers were over, she always went home afterward. After setting the table and saying her goodbyes, I walked her to the door and caught sight of her cab waiting in the driveway.
“Enjoy the rest of your night, Mrs. Kay,” I said, my voice sincere.
“Thank you, and I hope you do too.” She smiled, her warmth lingering in the air. Then, her expression shifted slightly. “And Dominic, please think about what I said.” She gave me one last knowing look before heading to her cab.
I waited until the vehicle pulled away before I closed the door behind me and turned toward the dining room, where Lucy and the guys had already begun to devour the spread laid out on the table.
“Hey, I thought we didn’t eat until everyone was here! And Axel hasn’t arrived yet.” I sat at the head of the table with Lucy on my right.
“It was all Lucy’s idea,” Vincent replied, a smirk playing on his lips as he popped a meatball into his mouth. “She said Uncle Axel is always late, so we should start eating without him. And it was unfair for us to wait when he should’ve been here on time. Honestly, I have to agree with her logic.”
I folded my arms, chuckling. “Vince, Lucy said all of that?”
“No, Daddy,” Lucy interjected with a grin. “What I said was that the faster we eat all this food, the quicker we get to dessert!”
“Fine, fine! Go ahead and eat,” I relented, shaking my head with amusement.
As dinner progressed, Vince regaled us with one of his signature charm-filled stories. Lucy clung to his every word, her eyes wide with wonder and her mouth slightly agape in awe. Vince had always possessed the gift of entertainment, effortlessly drawing in a crowd with just the allure of his voice.
“Sorry I’m late, traffic was a nightmare,” Axel declared, as he waltzed into the room, ruffling Lucy's hair affectionately as he slid into the chair beside Vince.
“Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence,” I said.
“Hey, if the food’s still hot, I’m good,” Axel shot back, flashing a grin.
As the others took turns entertaining Lucy with stories, my mind drifted back to Emily and how drastically she had changed from the teenage girl I once knew. The memory lingered—her curves now perfectly accentuated. I couldn’t shake the image of her desperately trying to cover herself when her buttons popped off, a fleeting reminder of the awkward girl I remembered.
Despite the vulnerability beneath her composed facade, she held her ground during my probing questions in the interview, but the faint flush of color in her cheeks betrayed the tension she tried to conceal.
I was caught off guard by her transformation and found myself reflecting on the small details: her nervous smile, the fire in her determined responses, and the chemistry that crackled between us.
Tomorrow, I’d officially hire her, the perfect pawn in my game of revenge. I had always believed in collecting debts, and Emily would be the price Victor would have to pay for snatching that deal we were meant to work on together.