Chapter 4
Adrien’s intense gray eyes slowly drifted from the sobbing, terrified mother up to the little girl hiding behind her.
The child was not crying. In fact, she seemed entirely unbothered by her mother's panic. Little Lily peeked around her mother’s trembling shoulder, the soft curls falling into her bright brown eyes. She was still smiling at Adrien, clearly convinced that this towering, dark-suited man was part of her midnight game.
Slowly, the little girl reached one tiny, delicate hand out from behind her mother’s back, extending it toward Adrien.
Adrien stared at that small hand. It was so fragile, so entirely innocent. It belonged to a world he had long since been shut out of—a world of warmth, light, and safety. The dark mafia-family protection atmosphere that surrounded him suddenly felt suffocatingly heavy.
Then, something incredible happened.
Adrien’s terrifying, exhausted expression began to shift. The hardened muscles in his jaw relaxed. The cold, lethal intensity in his gray eyes melted away, replaced by a soft, unexpected warmth. To the absolute shock of the mother, the head butler, and every servant watching from the walls, the corner of Adrien’s mouth slowly lifted.
It was a genuine, unmistakable smile.
"You’d better run," Adrien said, his voice dropping into a low, playful rumble that completely defied his ruthless reputation.
Lily’s eyes lit up with pure joy. She let out a loud, delighted giggle, completely ignoring her mother’s horrified gasp.
"You can't catch me!" Lily shrieked happily.
She turned on her heels, her mismatched socks slipping slightly on the marble, and bolted down the grand hallway as fast as her tiny legs could carry her, her pink dress flying behind her like a cape.
Adrien didn't call his guards. He didn't yell. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate step forward, his polished shoes clicking against the marble as he began to follow the child.
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The maid mother remained frozen on her knees, her mouth slightly open, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened. The most dangerous man in Chicago had just smiled at her daughter, and now, he was playing a game of tag in the middle of his forbidden corridor.
"Well?" Adrien paused, glancing down at the stunned mother, his smile fading into a look of calm, restrained authority. "Are you going to stay on the floor, or are you going to help me find her?"
