Chapter 12 - The Midnight Patrol
The western cottage was quiet under the autumn moon. Inside, Mia slept soundly, clutching her stuffed rabbit, her breathing soft and even.
Outside, the gravel crunched under heavy boots.
Adrienne stood in the shadows of the old oak tree near the cottage porch, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his tailored wool coat. Rex walked beside him, ears perked, tail swaying in a slow, steady rhythm.
For thirteen years, Adrienne’s nights had been consumed by tactical reviews, security threats, and the ghosts of a family he could no longer save. But tonight, his patrol route had subtly shifted. Without consciously deciding to do so, his feet always brought him toward the west garden.
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He watched the warm amber light filtering through the cottage's lace curtains. He heard the faint, muffled hum of Elena singing a lullaby to her sleeping daughter.
For a man who ruled an empire built on suspicion, standing unprotected in the dark near another person's home should have felt like vulnerability. Instead, for the first time in over a decade, Adrienne felt a strange, anchoring weight settle into his chest. He wasn't guarding an asset; he was standing guard over a sanctuary.
