The wind off the pier tugged at Natalie’s hair as she stared at the child in the stranger’s arms. His tiny storm-gray eyes reminded her of Ethan, but this was different — unfamiliar, fragile, and a part of her past she had long buried.
Adrian’s hand rested firmly on her back, grounding her. “Whatever happens,” he whispered, “we face it together. You, me, and Ethan. Nothing — no one — touches you.”
Natalie’s chest ached. “But… what if I make the wrong choice? What if he’s… gone forever because of me?”
Adrian stepped closer, his storm-gray eyes boring into hers. “You won’t. Because you’re not alone. You have me. And we won’t let him go without a fight.”
The hooded man dropped the child gently onto the pier. “You have a chance to take him,” he said coldly. “But know this: every decision h
