The meeting room stayed quiet after everyone left.
Not completely silent.
Just softer.
The tension had been pushed outside with the mafia members.
Now it was only Izana and Zarek inside.
Izana sat in one of the chairs near the side of the room, suit still perfectly neat despite the nursery bag beside him and the bottle in his hand.
Zarek rested against his chest quietly while drinking.
One tiny hand still wrapped around the teddy bear ribbon.
Izana watched him carefully the entire time.
Adjusting the bottle slightly whenever Zarek shifted.
"…Slow."
Zarek ignored him completely and kept drinking.
Izana's thumb brushed lightly over the back of his head.
"…Greedy."
Zarek made a soft sound against the bottle.
Izana's expression softened faintly.
Then—
his phone vibrated.
Izana glanced at it immediately.
Leah.
He answered without hesitation.
"…Li."
Her voice sounded tired.
Soft with sleep.
"…Hi."
Izana's eyes lowered back toward Zarek instantly.
"…Why are you awake?"
A small pause.
"…I wanted to check if everything was alright."
"…It's fine."
Leah was quiet for a second.
Then—
"…Really?"
Izana looked toward the closed meeting room doors briefly before answering.
"…Yes."
That earned a tired little laugh from her.
"…That didn't sound convincing."
Zarek shifted slightly in his arms.
Izana adjusted him automatically.
"…He's eating."
"…And the meeting?"
A pause.
Then flatly—
"…Delayed."
Leah laughed softly this time.
Clearly trying not to imagine it.
"…Poor Dante."
Izana ignored that.
"…You should still be sleeping."
"I already slept."
"…Not enough."
Leah went quiet again.
Then softer—
"…How's he doing?"
Izana looked down at Zarek.
The baby had almost finished now, eyes half-lidded again.
Calmer.
"…Fine."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…He sneezed."
Leah immediately sounded concerned.
"…What?"
"The room was cold."
"…Iz."
"…I fixed it."
Leah sighed softly.
"…You sound offended that the room was cold."
"I am."
That got another quiet laugh from her.
Izana listened to it silently for a moment.
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"…Go back to sleep."
Leah hesitated.
"…Will you both be home soon?"
Izana looked toward the doors again.
Then back to Zarek.
"…Yes."
"…Promise?"
"…Yes."
Another small pause.
Then—
"…Okay."
Her voice softened further.
"…Be careful."
Izana's expression shifted slightly at that.
Not visibly to most people.
But enough.
"…Always."
Leah was quiet for another second.
Then—
"…I love you."
The room stayed silent around him.
Izana lowered his eyes toward Zarek again before answering.
"…I know."
Leah laughed softly again.
"…That's your response?"
"…Yes."
"…You're impossible."
"…Sleep, Li."
"…Fine."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…I love you too."
The call ended.
Izana stared at the phone for another second before setting it aside.
Then looked back at Zarek.
"…Mommy worries too much."
Zarek blinked at him sleepily.
Izana adjusted the bottle one final time.
"…Done."
A few minutes later the bottle was empty.
Zarek had calmed completely now.
Sleepy again.
Izana carefully stood from the chair and moved toward the table.
He picked up the carrier.
Then carefully tried placing Zarek back into it.
Immediately—
Zarek made an unhappy sound.
Izana paused.
"…Don't start."
He tried again.
Zarek twisted slightly and whined louder.
Refusing.
Izana stared at him.
Silent.
Then tried once more.
Same reaction.
A louder whine this time.
Izana exhaled quietly through his nose.
At the exact same moment—
the meeting room door opened slightly.
Several members had started returning.
Dante stepped inside first.
Then paused when he saw Izana still standing there with Zarek in his arms.
"…Boss?"
Izana looked up once.
"…Few more minutes."
Nobody argued.
Nobody even looked like they wanted to.
Dante immediately stepped back again.
"…Out."
The door closed once more.
Silence returned.
Izana looked back down at Zarek.
"…You're difficult."
Zarek responded by gripping the front of his shirt.
Refusing to let go.
Izana tried lowering him toward the carrier again.
Another unhappy sound immediately followed.
Then the beginning of crying.
Izana stopped instantly.
"…Fine."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…You win."
Izana moved back toward the chair instead.
He opened the nursery bag again and took out the extra blanket.
Carefully folded it once.
Then again.
Creating a soft space across his lap.
Only after checking it properly did he slowly lower Zarek onto it.
Careful with his head.
One hand supporting him the entire time.
Zarek immediately relaxed.
Izana pulled the second blanket gently over him.
"…Spoiled."
Zarek made a soft sleepy sound.
Izana leaned back slightly in the chair.
Then started bouncing one leg gently.
Small movements.
Steady.
His hand rested lightly against Zarek's stomach while the other rubbed his side slowly.
"…Shh."
Quiet.
Low.
"…Go to sleep."
Zarek's eyes slowly started closing again.
Izana kept bouncing his leg gently.
"…That's it."
Another small sound.
Then silence.
Asleep again.
Izana watched him for another few seconds before finally looking toward the door.
"…Come in."
The door opened again almost immediately.
The mafia members slowly returned inside.
More cautious now than before.
Their eyes immediately went toward the carrier.
Empty.
Several of them visibly relaxed.
One man even leaned back slightly in his chair.
"…Finally."
Dante immediately glanced toward him.
But the man kept talking.
Clearly relieved.
"…Now maybe we can actually finish this meeting properly."
Izana slowly looked up.
Cold.
Still.
The room shifted immediately.
But the man either didn't notice—
or realised too late.
"…No more interruptions."
Then—
a small whine broke the silence.
Everyone froze.
The sound came from Izana's lap.
The man's face changed instantly.
Realisation.
Slow.
Horrified.
Izana's hand moved gently across Zarek's stomach beneath the blanket.
Slowly soothing him while never looking away from the man.
The whine faded quickly.
Izana's gaze stayed cold.
"…Leave."
The man blinked once.
"…Boss, I didn't—."
"…Leave."
The apology came immediately now.
Fast.
Panicked.
"…I apologise. I wasn't insulting your son, I only meant the meeting and I—."
Izana's expression didn't change.
"…Leave and don't come back."
Silence.
The man swallowed hard.
Everyone else in the room stayed completely still.
Because they all understood now.
This was no longer about disrespect toward Izana.
It was about disrespect toward something Izana loved.
And that was worse.
Far worse.
The man slowly stood.
"…My apologies."
Izana didn't answer.
Didn't even look away from him.
The man finally understood.
If he refused again—
something worse would happen.
So he left.
The door closed quietly behind him.
Nobody spoke after that.
Izana's gaze slowly moved across the remaining members.
Cold.
Sharp.
Controlled.
"…If anyone else shares his thoughts…"
Silence.
"…You may leave as well."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed too loudly.
Izana leaned back slightly in the chair.
One hand still resting gently over Zarek beneath the blanket.
"…But you will not return."
That landed heavily.
Because he meant it.
Not anger.
Not emotion.
Decision.
Final.
The room stayed completely silent.
Then—
Izana smiled slightly.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"…Continue."
Nobody hesitated this time.
Nobody interrupted.
The meeting resumed immediately.
Carefully.
Controlled.
And beneath the table—
hidden under soft blankets on Izana's lap—
Zarek sleepily grabbed one of Izana's fingers and started nibbling on it.
Izana looked down briefly.
And for the first time since the meeting restarted—
his expression softened again.