HIS ENTERTAINER

Chapter 50

HERMANN RODRIGUEZ POV.
I stood in my office, the world still half-asleep.
Dawn crawled up the horizon like it owed me money, painting my windows in shades of gold I didn't deserve. The empty bottle on my desk glared at me, judgmental and useless - unlike the war waiting outside.

Below, my men moved with brutal precision.
Loading weapons.
Checking comms.
Preparing to burn the city down if it meant bringing Ivy home.

For a moment - just one - I wondered how a monster like me ended up with an army willing to bleed at my command. How they'd chosen me, followed me, trusted me to lead them into hell and back.

Then a soft knock cut through the silence.

I didn't turn. Didn't blink. Didn't breathe.

"Come in," I said, my voice rough enough to scrape stone.

It was Genevieve, she closed the door gently behind her, her eyes scanning me as if she could read the pages of my soul before even speaking.
"Everyone is almost ready," she said, her voice calm but steady. "Everything is perfect."

I nodded, forcing strength into my tone. "Good work."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze softer now. "If you must know... everything wouldn't have been possible without you."

"Eve-" I started, but she cut me off with a sudden fierceness.

"Herman, it's true. I wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for you. Nor Carlos, nor Miguel... not even the late Maris Castro."

Her words sliced through me. My chest tightened, guilt burning up my throat. "Maris... that's right," I whispered, voice breaking. "I brought her to her death."

The weight of it pressed down on me, even as I tried to stand firm.

But Genevieve's expression softened, no anger, no blame in her eyes. Just truth. "It was never in your hands to stop death, Herman. Maris knew what this was. We all did. It was our choice to stay. She trusted you-we trust you. You've protected us as far as any man could. You gave us a life none of us ever imagined we'd have."

I shook my head, bitterness clinging to my words. "That's a lie. All I've done... is destroy."

She stepped closer, each footstep deliberate, her eyes never leaving mine. "No. That's you looking at yourself through the wrong mirror. Do you know why Nonna still trusts you after everything?"

I swallowed hard, unable to answer.

She reached for my hand, her touch steady, warm. "Because every time you fall, you rise again. Because when you fight, you fight to shield those who can't fight for themselves. And because, no matter how broken you feel, you've never once turned your blade against someone who didn't deserve it."

Her hand cupped mine, her eyes glimmering with something both tender and unshakable. "You are my hero-you are my brother." she spoke softly.

Something inside me cracked-like chains loosening from around my chest. Warmth spread through me, her words dissolving the storm of negativity I had been drowning in. I looked at her, really looked, and realized how far we had come together.

I pulled her into my arms, tugging her close until our foreheads rested together. My voice trembled, but it was sincere. "Thank you, Eve."

Her lips curved into a faint smile, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. "Don't thank me," she whispered, "just come back alive. That's all I ask."

I exhaled, holding her tighter. "I'll try. For you. For all of you. For Ivy."

Her words lingered in the air like a soft hymn, wrapping around my broken edges, holding me together where I thought I'd already shattered. I pulled back slightly, just enough to see her face. Her eyes, though wet with unfallen tears, burned with certainty.