She and Sophie moved into the mansion. Their servant’s room felt luxurious compared to their old apartment.
But the house was filled with men in suits, security cameras, and armored cars.
One night she overheard Adrian speaking to his brother Daniel.
“A rival touched my shipment,” Adrian said coldly.
Daniel replied, “They think you’ve gone soft.”
Adrian laughed quietly. “They’ll learn who runs this city.”
Hannah accidentally bumped into a chair.
Adrian appeared in the doorway.
“What did you hear?”
“Enough to know who you are.”
“And?”
“You haven’t hurt me or my daughter.”
He nodded once.
“You’re safe here. No one touches what belongs to me.”
Weeks passed.
Adrian often appeared during Sophie’s feeding times, watching quietly.
One night he stood outside the nursery.
“My wife Claire died,” he whispered. “Our son Lucas too. A rival gang killed them.”
Hannah placed a hand on his shoulder.
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“I was supposed to protect them.”
“No one can protect the people they love from everything.”
He rested his head against her shoulder.
Two lonely people sharing grief.
One afternoon Hannah ran into Ryan while returning from the grocery store.
He chased her into an alley.