*ARIANA*
The big gate opened slower than I remember.
The house used to feel so big when I was a child, but now it somehow gives an empty feeling.
I stepped out of the car before the driver could open the door. The house stood exactly the same.
Home.
Durrell came around the other side, already scanning the driveway. His men moved with a quiet efficiency.
“Stay close,” he said.
“I grew up here.”
“That doesn’t make it safe.”
I didn’t argue.
The front door opened before I rang the doorbell. The nurse assigned to my father froze when she saw the security detail behind me. Two of Durrell’s men stepped inside first, backing her into the house. She clutched her tablet like it could protect her.
“I’m his daughter,” I said gently. “You don’t need to be afraid.”
Her eyes darted to the me
