The meeting continued for another hour.
Then another.
Reports were reviewed.
Numbers were checked.
Future shipments were discussed.
Agreements were finalized.
Throughout all of it, one thing remained unchanged.
Zarek was asleep.
Curled up on the couch behind Izana's chair.
One small hand still loosely holding the pen Izana had given him earlier.
The paper he had been drawing on had slipped onto the cushion beside him.
Nobody mentioned it.
Nobody dared.
But every person in the room noticed.
Every so often, someone would glance toward the couch.
Then quickly look away before Izana noticed.
Unfortunately for them—
Izana noticed everything.
Not that he cared.
The meeting was finally drawing to a close.
One of the senior members finished his report and carefully closed his folder.
"That concludes everything on my end."
Another nodded.
"The northern accounts have also been settled."
Dante glanced over the final page in front of him before looking at Izana.
"Nothing else."
Silence settled over the room.
The kind that came at the end of long meetings.
Everyone waited.
Izana stood.
Immediately every person in the room did the same.
Instinct.
Respect.
Fear.
A mixture of all three.
"The meeting is finished."
Nobody argued.
Nobody lingered.
Papers were gathered.
Chairs were pushed back.
The room slowly began to empty.
Then Izana turned.
His gaze immediately found the couch.
Zarek hadn't moved.
Still asleep.
Still curled up.
Still completely unaware that he had spent the last several hours surrounded by some of the most dangerous men in the country.
Dante followed Izana's gaze.
"...He's still asleep."
"Obviously."
One of the members accidentally looked toward the couch again.
"He slept through all of that."
Dante glanced at him.
"Unlike the rest of you, he has priorities."
The room fell silent.
The man looked unsure whether Dante had insulted him or not.
Dante simply walked away.
Izana approached the couch.
For a moment he simply stood there.
Looking down at his son.
Zarek's lion plush had fallen halfway off the couch.
The pen was still trapped in his fingers.
His hair was slightly messy from sleep.
Completely peaceful.
Izana carefully removed the pen.
Then bent down and lifted him.
Zarek stirred immediately.
A small sleepy sound escaped him.
His eyes opened for half a second.
Then closed again.
The moment he realized who was carrying him.
His head dropped against Izana's shoulder.
Comfortable.
Safe.
As if that was all he needed to know.
Several men witnessed the entire thing.
Nobody spoke.
But the silence somehow became even more awkward.
Because seeing Izana carry a sleeping child was still something none of them had adjusted to.
Dante walked beside him toward the door.
The moment they entered the hallway—
people noticed.
Again.
The effect was immediate.
Employees stopped.
Conversations died.
Several people froze completely.
Whispers began almost instantly.
"That's his son."
"I haven't seen him before."
"He's adorable."
"Don't say that where Dante can hear you."
"I wasn't saying it to Dante."
Dante sighed.
"...They're going to be talking about this for weeks."
Izana continued walking.
"Then they need more work."
Dante looked at him.
"That's not how gossip works."
Izana didn't answer.
A young employee carrying files stepped out of an office.
Then immediately froze.
Because Izana was walking directly toward him.
Holding a sleeping toddler.
The employee almost dropped everything.
"Sir."
Izana walked past.
The employee released a breath.
Then looked at Zarek.
"...He's tiny."
Dante didn't even turn around.
"He can hear you."
The employee immediately disappeared back into his office.
The corridor grew quieter as they continued.
Eventually they reached a large set of doors.
Izana's office.
Dante opened them.
The room beyond was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city.
Bookshelves lined one wall.
A sitting area occupied another.
At the center stood Izana's desk.
Large.
Dark.
Imposing.
Everything about the office reflected its owner.
Controlled.
Ordered.
Precise.
Izana crossed the room and carefully laid Zarek on the sofa.
The child immediately curled up on his side.
Still asleep.
Dante glanced down at him.
"...Unbelievable."
Izana sat at his desk.
"What is?"
"He slept through an entire mafia meeting."
"Good."
Dante shook his head.
Then sat opposite him.
For the next twenty minutes they worked through the remaining paperwork.
Several documents required signatures.
Others needed approval.
Everything proceeded normally.
Until a small voice interrupted.
"Da-da."
Izana looked up immediately.
Zarek was sitting upright on the sofa.
Hair sticking up slightly.
Eyes half-open.
Still waking up.
The moment he spotted Izana his expression brightened.
"Da-da."
Izana set down his pen.
"Morning."
Zarek rubbed his eyes.
"Sleep."
"Yes."
"Good sleep."
Dante looked up from a report.
"...Remarkable observation."
Zarek blinked at him.
Then pointed.
"Dan-tee."
"Unfortunately."
Zarek giggled.
Izana stood.
He walked toward the bag Leah had packed earlier.
The moment he picked it up, Zarek recognized it.
"Mama bag."
"Yes."
Izana opened it.
Inside were neatly packed containers.
Sandwiches.
Fruit.
Snacks.
And a folded note.
Zarek immediately climbed off the sofa.
"Mama food!"
A small smile appeared on Izana's face.
Barely noticeable.
"Yes."
Within minutes they were sitting together in the office.
Zarek happily eating his lunch while Izana reviewed another report.
Dante watched the scene.
Then looked away.
Somehow this had become normal.
After lunch, Zarek became energetic again.
Far too energetic.
He wandered around the office.
Examined bookshelves.
Looked out the windows.
Inspected everything.
Then he noticed it.
The chair.
Izana's chair.
His eyes widened.
He pointed.
"Da-da chair?"
Izana glanced up.
"Yes."
Zarek stared at it.
Then declared:
"Mine."
Dante immediately closed his eyes.
"...No."
Zarek ignored him.
Without waiting for permission, he climbed onto the large chair.
The process took effort.
Several attempts.
A lot of determination.
Eventually he succeeded.
He sat proudly behind the desk.
Looking very pleased with himself.
Dante stared.
"...Of course."
Zarek placed both hands on the desk.
Trying to imitate Izana.
The resemblance was ridiculous.
And somehow obvious.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Enter."
The door opened.
Two trusted employees stepped inside carrying documents.
Then stopped.
Immediately.
Because the scene before them was not what they expected.
Izana stood by the windows reviewing paperwork.
Dante was leaning against a bookshelf.
And sitting behind Izana's desk—
was a very proud two-year-old.
The employees froze.
One looked like he was fighting for his life not to laugh.
The other simply stared.
Zarek looked at them.
Then looked at the desk.
Then looked back at them.
He raised one hand.
Exactly the way he had seen Izana do during meetings.
The room fell completely silent.
Then Zarek spoke.
"Continue."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The employees looked at Dante.
Then at Izana.
Then back at Zarek.
Dante turned away immediately.
His shoulders shaking once.
The employees stared.
"...Was he..."
"...giving us orders?"
"I think he was."
Across the room, even Izana paused.
Only briefly.
But long enough.
Zarek smiled proudly.
Completely convinced he was helping.
And for the rest of the afternoon, nobody in the office could decide what was more terrifying—
Izana sitting behind that desk.
Or the tiny version currently occupying his chair.