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The tension in the air of the N109 zone was palpable. It was the one night of the year where anyone who had even a shred of power in the N109 zone was gathered in one place; a meeting to discuss territories and strike deals. What made tonight’s meeting even more tense was that it was the first public appearance in months of the N109’s most powerful - Sylus, the leader of Onychinus. Rumours had spread in his absence; someone had finally killed him, he’d been overtaken as leader of Onychinus, he’d finally left the N109 zone. None of those rumours had held up, given that dealings with Onychinus were still conducted in a timely fashion as they always had been.
The anticipation for Sylus’ appearance had accumulated into the tension that lay thick in the air. Various faction leaders sized one another up from across the table, daring the other to make the wrong move and give them an excuse to shed blood. Unsettled chatter echoed around the room, accompanied by the uncomfortable shifting in stiff leather seats. From the back of the conference room, the wide double doors opened and a suffocating silence fell on the room. Two young men entered at the same time, both dressed in matching black outfits with crow masks and their hoods pulled up; Sylus’ henchmen. Eyes followed the pair as they walked to the front of the room, neither paying attention to the looks of disdain and fear. Shortly after, the distinct sound of expensive leather shoes thudded against the tiled floors of the hallway and echoed off the walls eerily. The silence remained, no one daring to breathe too loudly, and then Sylus appeared before them. A powerful, intimidating aura rolled off him in waves and fear crept into those lower on the food chain of the N109 zone. It took a moment for anyone to notice the pastel pink baby sling that carried a tiny bundle against Sylus’ chest. The soft pink clashed harshly with the dark crimson and black of his tailored suit, yet the power he radiated didn’t waver. No one dared speak up as Sylus walked leisurely towards his place at the head of the table but hushed whispers began to circulate the room.
“Did he kidnap the baby?”
“I’ve seen him with that hunter before…maybe he knocked her up accidentally.”
“Maybe it’s a bomb.”
“Can’t believe he’s been off playing ‘family’.”
Sylus paid no mind to the hushed whispers, never one for bothering with the trivial nature of gossip. He took his seat, leaning back in his chair as his baby slept soundly against his chest. A fleeting smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he admired the peaceful expression on her face, a warmth blossoming in his chest at the love that filled his heart. His tender moment was interrupted by a pointed cough. Sharp ruby eyes located the source of the noise immediately, soft gaze turning pointed immediately.
“M-Mr Sylus, I…w-we…it’s good to see you’ve returned from…” The man trailed off, eyes flicking down to the sleeping baby. “Welcome back.”
Sylus scoffed. “You must be truly brave for daring to speak first,” he said. “Would you like to conduct this meeting then, hm?”
With a slight shake of his head, the man declined. Sylus hummed in response, surveying the faces around the table for a moment. He’d kept updated with the new players in the N109 zone and which factions had shifted since he’d taken a step back with the arrival of his daughter. Some faces seemed even newer than his information had reported, no doubt caused by the high turnover rate in this business.
“If nobody else feels the need to speak, let’s get started shall we?”
The meeting had progressed as smoothly as one would imagine it would go with a room full of power-hungry criminals. Sylus’ patience was wearing thin, wanting nothing more than to go home with his child and fall into the arms of his beloved. Even Luke and Kieran, who thrived on chaos, were growing restless at the endless bickering and petty jabs. Sylus pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. The bundle against his chest shifted with all the noise, finally stirring her from her slumber. She blinked blearily up at Sylus, tiny mouth forming an ‘o’ as she yawned.
“Hello my little dove. Did you sleep well?” Sylus cooed, fingers pinching her chubby cheeks gently.
She babbled and giggled in delight, tiny hands reaching for Sylus’ face. He leaned closer, pretending to bite her hands as she grabbed at his glasses. Caught up in his own world, Sylus had barely noticed that the infighting had all but dissipated. It wasn’t until she turned to look at all the new faces that Sylus finally turned his attention back to the matter at hand. No one dared to meet Sylus’ eyes as he looked towards their prying gazes.
“That’s it!” An older gentleman exclaimed from the other side of the table. “You’ve grown complacent and soft, Sylus, too busy playing family to realise Onychinus is on the brink of losing all the power you hold!”
The tension grew thick, suffocating in the conference room so volatile a single spark would turn the whole building to ruins. Slowly, Sylus stood from his seat. Those seated closest to him instinctively shuffled as far back as they could. Sylus’ hands splayed across the smooth mahogany of the table, black and red mist beginning to seep out from under his palms. The older gentleman continued to stand his ground, matching Sylus’ stance despite the trembling in his hands.
“You-you can’t scare me! I’m not your little-”
A single finger was held up, silencing the man. He sputtered indignantly only to be muzzled by a stifling mask of black and red mist. Sylus tilted his head down, ear leaned in towards his mini me. She cooed and babbled happily into his ear, smiling as Sylus nodded intently at her sounds.
“Mhm. Oh? You make a good point, little one…mm. Harsh, but acceptable terms.”
As she finished her babbling, Sylus looked across the table and unmuzzled the man. He stared him down, left eye glowing subtly with power.
“Even in my absence, Onychinus has barely had to exert any of its usual force to maintain its power. You’ll do well to remember that you need Onychinus’ allyship more than I need your loyalty. You have exactly four days-”
Sylus paused briefly, listening intently once again to his daughter’s babbled sounds.
“She makes an excellent point. You have 48 hours to agree with the terms of this deal or you can say goodbye to your entire faction. My patience has worn out, there is no longer the option for negotiations.”
The silence was palpable, barely a breath was heard. The gentleman across the table swallowed audibly before slumping down into his seat in defeat. A satisfied smirk pulled at Sylus’ lips.
“Anyone else have an issue with the terms I’ve laid out?”
Silence.
“Then I believe this meeting is finished.”
Sylus pushed his chair back, stepping out from behind the table with Luke and Kieran on his heels. Tiny hands grabbed at his chin, demanding his attention. Sylus looked down at her, beaming at the bright eyes that stared back at him.
“You are going to be the most excellent negotiator one day,” he said with a grin.
Excited babbling greeted him in response as she squirmed in her sling. Sylus stopped in his tracks and scooped up his daughter, holding her in his arms as the sling hung loosely around his chest.
“I know, little dove. That was a boring meeting.”
Sylus made his way down and out of the building, the smile growing on his face with each step away from that meeting. As he stepped out of the front doors, the bundle in his arms wriggled and squealed in delight, tiny arms reaching for a familiar figure.
“Look, little one, a stray kitten has found us,” Sylus teased as he approached you.
Your eyes narrowed at Sylus, looking between him and the building he’d just exited from. “Sylus?”
He smiled innocently. “Yes, sweetie?”
Mirroring his smile, you pinched his cheek. “Did you just take our infant daughter into one of your business meetings?” You asked through a strained smile.
“Baby boss was very-”
“Very convincing.”
Luke and Kieran said in tandem. You turned your unimpressed stare onto the twins, watching as they quickly diverted their attention and stepped away.
“Did you enjoy your spa day, sweetie?” Sylus asked, his usual charming timbre making all annoyance fizzle out.
You sighed. “I did. Thank you.”
Sylus leaned down, pressing a kiss into your forehead. Your daughter giggled at the darkness that enveloped her from being sandwiched between you two. She reached out, grabbing at your cheek as she held onto Sylus’ collar.
“Hi my little love, did you enjoy your time with daddy? Was he being the big, bad Onychinus boss?” You cooed at her.
Sylus leaned further down as she scrambled into your arms, snuggling against your neck. He watched fondly, unable to stop the loving smile that graced his features. He knew that nothing that had occurred in his past; none of the pain and suffering he endured mattered now. What he hadn’t been able to experience in his first life with you, he had now in the palm of his hands. He had the world’s greatest treasures in the safest place right at his side close to his chest. You’d filled his life and his heart with a joy and love he’d never known before. He hadn’t known or wanted anything else until that small bundle of everything good about you and everything he held dear came into his life. Now in this life, there was a place for Sylus, a place for you, and a place for your daughter.