Me, Niall who is my second in command, and a few of the other men who work for me are all having a meeting in the office at my club. Running through business deals. Negotiations. And some other bullshit.

I feel the vibrations of my phone buzzing against my leg. I slip it out of my pocket and see ‘my love’ your contact name on my screen.

Everybody shuts up, allowing me to take my call. “Babe?” I answer, none of my men dare to say a word.

“Dada..?” I hear our daughter Aurora’s small, shaky voice on the other end of the phone, taking me by surprise, she’s never called me from your phone before, she’s only five.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” I ask, voice instantly softening at the sound of my daughter’s voice, she sounds upset, causing an ache in my chest.

“Can- can you come home, dada? Please…please come home.” She pleads, I can hear her sniffles on the other end of the phone and it’s almost my undoing.

My stomach turns, parental instincts immediately on high alert, right now I wasn’t the ruthless, most feared man in London. I was just Harry, a dad worried about his daughter.

“My Rora, what’s wrong? M’coming home right now,” I assure her, standing up from my chair at my desk, mouthing to my men ‘I’ve got to go.’ Niall nods, a hint of respect in his expression.

“Dada… mama hasn’t gotten out of the bath,” Rora’s small voice explains on the other end of the line, hiccuping through sobs. “She- she’s been in there for ages. Dada… m’scared.”

I’m already in my car, engine on, one hand on the wheel while my free hand holds my phone and I pull off with a sense of urgency, a deep sense of dread washes over me. “Dada’s coming. M’coming right now, baby girl. Stay on the phone with me, yeah?”

I need you to be safe. I need my Rora happy.

—

I pull up outside of our house, kill the engine and rush towards our front door. I fumble to unlock it quickly, stepping inside.

“Aurora, where are you?” I call out, before I notice her at the top of the stairs, clutching her pink bunny in her small hand. “Stay there, darlin. M’gonna go get mama, okay? I’ll be up soon. Love you.”

She nods and her next words melt my usually stone cold heart. “Love you, dada.”

My feet move urgently as I head towards the bathroom, I swing the door open and my heart drops.

You’re on the floor. Next to the bath.

Crimson red trickles down your forehead. You’re barely conscious.

You must’ve slipped getting out of the bath, that thought fucking kills me. I wasn’t here to protect you. Wasn’t here to hear your fall and rush in here. I hate that.

I sink down to my knees, gently moving you so that your heads laying on my lap.

I pray Rora doesn’t come in here and see you—her mama like this.

But, she probably will because she’s clearly worried about you considering she called me. The thought makes my whole body tense.

“{{user}}…” I murmur shakily, stroking your hair. For once, I am scared. “Can- can you hear me?”