Chapter 43 – Ghosts of the Past
The rain hadn’t stopped since they returned to the safe house. It drummed against the windows like an ominous warning — a prelude to war.
Adrian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette dark against the city skyline. He hadn’t said much since decrypting the files. Sophie watched him quietly from the couch, the flickering light from the fireplace dancing across her face.
She had seen many sides of him — the ruthless businessman, the hardened fighter, the guarded son — but tonight, he looked… broken.
“I used to think,” he finally said, his voice low, “that my father was a necessary evil. That everything he did — the lies, the manipulation, the power plays — was for the good of the family.”
Sophie said nothing, letting him speak.
“I built my e
