Chapter Three — Someone Was Watching
1338 Words
Adrian remained motionless in the hallway, his attention fixed on the darkness ahead. The faint knocking had stopped, but the silence that followed felt worse.
Ariel was still holding the back of his shirt.
He could feel her trembling.
"Stay here," Adrian said quietly.
"But—"
"Stay here."
His voice wasn't harsh, but it left no room for argument.
Adrian moved forward.
Every light in the hallway was on. The windows were locked. The security system showed no sign of a breach.
Still, something had made that sound.
He reached the end of the corridor and stopped beside a large window.
Nothing.
Only rain.
He checked the lock.
Still secured.
Adrian pulled out his phone.
"Marcus."
The call connected immediately.
"Sir?"
"Check the east side of the property."
"Is there a problem?"
"Just check it."
"I'm on my way."
Adrian ended the call.
Behind him, Ariel whispered his name.
He turned.
She was standing exactly where he'd told her to stay.
"Come here."
She slowly walked toward him.
Adrian crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level.
"Tell me exactly what you heard."
Ariel looked toward the hallway.
"Someone said my name."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"What did the voice sound like?"
"I don't know."
"Man or woman?"
Ariel thought for a moment.
"Man."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Did you recognize him?"
She shook her head.
"No."
He stood.
"All right."
Ariel looked up at him.
"Are you angry?"
Adrian paused.
"No."
"You're making that face."
"What face?"
"The scary one."
For the first time that night, Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
Instead, he looked away.
"This is my normal face."
Ariel stared at him.
"It is scary."
Adrian sighed.
"Go back to your room."
She didn't move.
"I don't want to."
Adrian looked down at her.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to be alone."
There it was again.
That sentence.
He had spent years enjoying solitude.
Now he was discovering that solitude sounded very different when a frightened child was standing in front of him.
Adrian looked toward her room.
Then back at her.
"Fine."
Ariel's eyes widened slightly.
"You can stay in my room until you fall asleep."
He immediately regretted saying it.
Ariel smiled.
It was small.
But it was the first genuine smile he'd seen from her.
Adrian turned away before she could notice how much that expression affected him.
They walked toward his bedroom.
Ariel climbed onto the large bed and sat near the edge.
Adrian remained in the chair beside the window.
"You can sleep," he said.
She looked at him.
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Eventually."
"Why?"
"I have work."
"At night?"
"Sometimes."
Ariel frowned.
"That's sad."
Adrian looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you're always working."
He didn't answer.
Nobody had ever said that to him.
People usually admired his discipline.
Nobody cared whether he was tired.
Ariel slowly lay down.
Within minutes, her eyes began to close.
Adrian watched her breathing become slower.
Eventually, she fell asleep.
He remained awake.
His phone vibrated.
Marcus.
Adrian answered quietly.
"Report."
"We checked the entire property."
"And?"
"Nothing."
Adrian's eyes moved toward the sleeping girl.
"Any signs of intrusion?"
"No."
"Then someone is watching from outside."
Marcus went silent.
"I think so too," he replied.
"Increase security."
"Already done."
Adrian ended the call.
He returned his attention to Ariel.
Something about the situation bothered him.
If someone had been watching the alley, why?
Why leave the child there?
Why watch her afterward?
And why would someone follow her to his home?
He didn't have answers.
But Adrian Vale had survived by never ignoring questions he couldn't explain.
The following morning, Ariel woke to sunlight.
For several seconds, she didn't recognize the room.
Then she remembered.
Adrian.
The mansion.
The rain.
The alley.
She sat up.
Adrian was gone.
Ariel's expression changed.
She climbed out of bed and opened the door.
The hallway was quiet.
She walked downstairs.
The smell of food reached her before she reached the dining room.
Adrian was already sitting at the table.
A newspaper lay in front of him, though he wasn't reading it.
He looked up when Ariel entered.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
She stopped.
"Where's everyone?"
"Working."
"Oh."
Adrian pointed toward the chair.
"Sit."
Ariel sat.
A plate was placed in front of her.
She looked at it.
Then at Adrian.
"Did you make this?"
Adrian stared at her.
"No."
Ariel smiled.
"I thought you didn't know how to cook."
"I don't."
"What do you know how to do?"
Adrian folded the newspaper.
"Many things."
"Like?"
He thought about it.
"Business."
"That's boring."
Adrian stared at her.
Nobody had ever called his life boring to his face.
Ariel began eating.
Adrian watched silently.
After a moment, he noticed something.
She wasn't afraid of him anymore.
Not completely.
The realization was strangely unsettling.
His phone rang.
Adrian answered.
"Yes?"
A man's voice spoke from the other end.
"We found something."
Adrian's expression changed.
"Where?"
"Near the alley."
Adrian stood.
"What?"
"A piece of paper."
"What does it say?"
There was a pause.
"Your name."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"My name?"
"Yes, sir."
"Send me a picture."
The message arrived seconds later.
Adrian looked at the photograph.
A small piece of paper.
Three words written across it.
ADRIAN VALE KNOWS.
His jaw tightened.
He read it again.
He didn't know what they were talking about.
But somebody clearly believed he did.
Adrian looked across the table.
Ariel was eating quietly.
He quickly put the phone away.
She looked up.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You look angry."
"I'm fine."
Ariel continued eating.
Adrian sat back down.
He didn't tell her.
Not yet.
Whatever this was, he wasn't going to frighten her with it.
But one thing was certain.
The moment he picked Ariel up from that alley, his life had changed.
And now someone was making sure he understood that.
Later that afternoon, Adrian stood in his office while Marcus placed several photographs on the desk.
"We checked the cameras around the area," Marcus said. "Someone disabled two of them shortly before you arrived."
Adrian studied the photographs.
"Can you identify them?"
"Not yet."
"Then find them."
Marcus nodded.
Adrian looked at another photograph.
It showed the alley.
Empty.
Dark.
Then he noticed something near the wall.
A symbol.
A small marking painted on the brick.
"What is that?"
Marcus looked closer.
"We don't know."
Adrian touched the photograph.
He had seen that symbol before.
Years ago.
A memory surfaced.
An old organization.
A name he'd buried.
A group that had disappeared from the city long ago.
His expression became colder.
"Find out who uses this symbol."
Marcus looked at him.
"Sir, do you know what it means?"
Adrian stared at the photograph.
"I think I do."
He picked it up.
"But I hope I'm wrong."
A soft knock came from the office door.
Both men turned.
Ariel stood there.
She was holding a small drawing.
"Mr. Vale?"
Adrian immediately changed his expression.
"What is it?"
"I made something for you."
She walked toward him and handed him the paper.
It was a simple drawing.
Two figures stood beneath a crooked house.
One was tall.
One was small.
Above them was a yellow circle representing the sun.
Adrian stared at it.
"That's you," Ariel said, pointing at the taller figure.
Then she pointed at the smaller one.
"That's me."
Adrian looked at her.
"And the house?"
"Our house."
For a moment, Adrian couldn't speak.
He looked at the drawing again.
"Our house."
Two simple words.
Yet they carried a weight he wasn't prepared for.
He folded the paper carefully.
"I'll keep it."
Ariel smiled.
Marcus quietly stepped out of the office.
Adrian watched Ariel leave.
Then his expression hardened again.
He looked down at the photograph of the mysterious symbol.
Someone was watching them.
Someone knew about Ariel.
Someone knew about him.
And Adrian had a feeling that the two were connected.
He picked up his phone.
"Find them," he ordered.
His voice was cold.
"Before they come anywhere near her again
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