The mansion was unusually quiet when Natalie returned, Ethan asleep in his crib. The events on the pier still churned in her chest — the child, the hooded man, the threat looming over their family. She sank onto the sofa, trying to steady her racing heart.
Adrian stood nearby, storm-gray eyes scanning the horizon. “We can’t wait,” he said, voice low but fierce. “He’s not done. Whoever sent that note… they’re planning something bigger.”
Natalie’s hands clutched her knees. “I thought… I thought bringing the boy back would make things better.”
Adrian stepped closer, resting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s only the beginning. The truth has teeth, Natalie. And it’s coming for us.”
Adrian spread the documents from the pier across the dining table: hospital records, DNA results, and letters det
