Chapter 5 - THE SHADOW OF FEAR
Adrian fought with every ounce of his legendary iron willpower to keep his voice steady, to suppress the tidal wave of memories and grief threatening to crash over him.
"Where is your mother, Sophia?" Adrian asked, his dark eyes searching her small, fragile face for any trace of the woman he had loved and lost eight years ago.
Sophia did not answer immediately. Instead of looking at Adrian, her frightened blue eyes drifted past his shoulder, looking toward the sidewalk behind him.
She was looking directly at the three black armored SUVs parked along the curb, and at the imposing, dark-suited security men standing in silent formation around the vehicles.
As she stared at the security team, her expression shifted entirely. The cautious curiosity she had held while talking to Adrian vanished, replaced by an unmistakable, terrifying, bone-deep dread. Her cheeks drained of what little color they possessed, and her breathing became shallow and fast.
Adrian, hyper-attuned to her every reaction, noticed the sudden shift instantly. He saw that her eyes were not locked on him, but on the men he had brought with him.
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He turned his head slowly, glancing over his shoulder at Mark and the four security guards stationed around the convoy. The men stood stiff, vigilant, scanning the rooftops and cross-streets, completely unaware that the little girl was staring at them in absolute terror.
Adrian turned back to Sophia, a cold, sharp seed of suspicion taking root in his mind.
