Chapter 16 - Shadows on the Perimeter
Two weeks passed without incident. The estate settled into a rhythm so peaceful it almost felt like a dream. The federal agents had packed up their mobile units, the journalists had stopped camping at the front gates, and Vivienne’s name had faded into the dark footnotes of financial crime blogs.
Adrian had begun spending his evenings in the library, working on the structural redesign of his tech firm’s security protocols to ensure no outsider could ever bypass the analog firewalls again.
Then, shortly after midnight, Bruno stopped pacing.
Inside the library, Adrian heard the low, warning growl rumble deep in the mastiff’s chest—a sound that hadn't been uttered since the night Viktor and Marcus had tried to take him.
Adrian didn't hesitate. He opened the bottom drawer of his desk, pulled out a heavy tactical flashlight and a legally licensed Sig Sauer P320, and checked the chamber.
He walked quietly to the French doors, flicked the latch, and stepped out onto the balcony.
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The night was pitch black, a thick, rolling autumn fog blanketing the lower gardens and swallowing the light of the stone fountain.
Down below, near the rear service gate where the broken silver clasp had been found weeks ago, a single beam of light flickered—a flashlight, sweeping low across the wet gravel.
