Chapter 8 - THE SHADOW UNMASKED
Without losing a single microsecond, Adrian reached his long, muscular arm through the open driver's window frame.
He didn't search for a door lock. He reached straight down the central console, grabbed the heavy, mechanical hood-release lever, and yanked it upward with a sharp CLICK.
Simultaneously, he reached his right arm into the cabin, hit the central electronic override toggle on the master dashboard, and manually disengaged the vehicle's secondary security system.
CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!
Every single door lock on the massive black SUV popped open simultaneously.
On the driveway behind him, Natalie Cross let out a sharp, genuine gasp of utter horror. Her manicured hands dropped from her face, her eyes wide as she realized that Adrian hadn't fallen into her violent trap—he had bypassed her entire security system using basic mechanical knowledge in less than four seconds.
Grant Mercer’s camera flickered slightly as the attorney’s hands trembled, his confident expression shattering as he realized his live video feed had just captured a masterclass in controlled, life-saving precision rather than a violent assault.
Adrian didn't wait. He stepped smoothly around the side of the vehicle, grabbed the rear passenger door handle, and pulled it wide open.
A wave of blistering, suffocating heat—like opening the door to a commercial pizza oven—poured out of the vehicle cabin into the summer air.
Adrian leaned his broad frame inside.
With tender, agonizingly gentle hands, his calloused, tattooed fingers unclipped the heavy safety harness holding five-month-old Owen into his car seat. He supported the infant's fragile neck with his broad palm, lifting his tiny, limp body out of the dark leather seat into the open air.
"Owen..." Adrian whispered, his raspy voice breaking for the first time as he pulled his unconscious son against his broad chest.
The cold air from the estate gardens hit the baby’s slick, overheating skin.
Owen’s tiny chest gave a sudden, gasping heave.
May you like
WAHHHHHHHH!
A loud, piercing, healthy cry erupted from the baby’s lungs, echoing across the stone courtyard like a miracle under the July sun.
