Chapter 5
"I—I'm coming, sir," the mother stammered, scrambling frantically to her feet. She hastily smoothed down her black-and-white maid uniform, her hands still trembling violently.
Adrien had already resumed his pursuit, his long, muscular legs easily covering the distance of the grand hallway. He wasn't running, but his purposeful stride carried him quickly toward the expansive mansion library where the little girl had disappeared. The mother hurried to keep up, her heart hammering against her ribs. She couldn't shake the terrifying reality of who she was walking beside.
"What is your name?" Adrien asked, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"Clara, sir," she replied quickly, keeping her head slightly bowed. "Clara Hayes. I'm assigned to the night cleaning crew for the east wing."
"And the girl?"
"Lily. She just turned three last month." Clara swallowed hard, terrified of saying the wrong thing. "Mr. Moretti, I cannot apologize enough. I will pack my things immediately after my shift. You won't ever see us again."
Adrien stopped at the massive oak doors of the library. He turned his broad shoulders to look at Clara. The warm light from the hallway chandeliers caught the sharp contours of his face, highlighting the deep exhaustion in his gray eyes.
"Did I say you were fired, Clara?" Adrien asked softly.
"No, sir, but... the rules—"
"I make the rules in this house," Adrien interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And right now, the rule is that we are playing hide and seek."
He pushed the heavy oak doors open. The library was vast, lined with towering bookshelves and deep leather armchairs. The only light came from the lightning flashing outside the grand windows.
"Where are you, little mouse?" Adrien called out, his deep voice echoing in the cavernous room.
A muffled, highly conspicuous giggle erupted from behind a heavy burgundy velvet curtain near the window.
Clara bit her lip, caught between terror and a bizarre sense of relief. She watched as Adrien Moretti, a man who ordered hits and controlled an empire of crime, slowly walked over to the curtain. He reached out with a large, powerful hand and swiftly pulled the heavy fabric aside.
"Found you," Adrien declared.
May you like
Lily shrieked with laughter, falling onto her back on the thick Persian rug, kicking her mismatched socks into the air. "You found me! You found me!"
Adrien crouched down, his immaculate three-piece suit pulling tight across his broad chest. He rested his elbows on his knees, looking at the laughing child with an expression of profound, guarded wonder.
