Chapter 4
Adrian stopped breathing for a fraction of a second. He stood frozen in the center of the study, the sunlight casting long, dramatic shadows across his broad, tattooed chest. His intense, commanding presence seemed to waver as the crushing weight of the truth settled over him.
"James," Adrian breathed, the name tasting like ash in his mouth. "James had a child."
Emma nodded, hugging her arms tightly across her chest. "We met in the city. At a bakery I used to work at. He was so... charming. So warm. He didn't tell me who he was at first. He just said his name was James."
Adrian closed his eyes. Brief, painful imagery flashed through his mind—James in his dark suit, flashing that easy, playful grin. James, who was always far gentler than Adrian. James, who had been brutally gunned down in a warehouse before his thirtieth birthday.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Adrian asked, opening his eyes. The fury was gone, replaced by a deep, aching betrayal. "When he died, we searched everywhere for anyone connected to him. Why did you hide my brother’s blood from me?"
"Because of who you are!" Emma cried out, her fear finally giving way to a desperate mother's anger. "He told me the truth about your family when I got pregnant. He told me about the violence, the enemies, the mafia. He said he was going to leave it all behind for us."
"Nobody leaves this life, Emma," Adrian said darkly.
"He wanted to!" she shot back. "He gave me that lighter the night before he was killed. He scratched his initials and the date into it. He told me to keep it safe, to remember that he belonged to us, not to the cartel."
Adrian walked slowly to the bar cart, pouring two fingers of amber liquid into a crystal glass. His hands were remarkably steady, a stark contrast to the emotional storm tearing through his chest.
"When I saw the news that he was murdered," Emma continued, her voice dropping to a tearful whisper, "I was terrified. I thought whoever killed him would come for me and the baby. So I ran. I changed my last name. I hid."
"And yet," Adrian said, turning to face her, his dark eyes sharp and calculating, "fourteen months ago, you applied for a job in my house. You willingly walked into the lion’s den. Why?"
Emma looked down at the floor. "I ran out of money. Nora got sick last year, and the medical bills buried me. I knew your estate paid the staff double the normal rate, with full health benefits. I thought... I thought if I stayed in the shadows, if I kept my head down, you would never notice us. I just wanted to keep his daughter safe."
Adrian drank the scotch in one smooth swallow. He set the glass down with a definitive clink. He walked back to Emma, stopping just inches from her. She trembled under his intense gaze, looking up at his ruggedly handsome face.
"You hid my niece from me for three years," Adrian said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "You let me bury my brother thinking his line was dead. You have been scrubbing my floors while carrying Cole blood."
"Please, Adrian," Emma begged, reaching out and gripping the sleeve of his black dress shirt. "Don't take her from me. She’s all I have. Fire me, let us leave, and you will never see us again."
May you like
Adrian looked down at her small, trembling hand on his arm.
"You are never leaving this estate again, Emma," Adrian said softly, his words carrying an absolute, terrifying finality. "Neither of you."
