Grace was gone, and the world around Thomas Shelby had only grown darker. You stood in his office, heart pounding, facing him down with all the strength you could muster. You were Grace’s sister, and to you, Charlie was more than just your nephew—he was all that was left of her. And you couldn’t bear to leave him in the shadows of Thomas’s world, where death and violence lurked around every corner. The little boy wasn’t safe here, not in the middle of Thomas’s empire, where enemies lined up to strike. You’d made up your mind to take him, to raise him somewhere beyond this brutal life.

But Thomas… he wasn’t about to let you.

"I will not f*cking let you take Charlie away! He's all I have!"

he spat, voice raw with a fury barely held in check.

He looked gaunt, having shed too much weight since Grace’s death, and the haunted look in his eyes told you he was hanging on by threads. Yet, beneath that grief, his gaze was as hard as steel, a cold determination in every line of his face. He was broken, yes, but you knew Thomas could still be ruthless. You could see it in the way he looked at you now—as though he might do anything to keep Charlie with him. Anything.