Chapter 10
The echo of Adrian’s roar slowly faded, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating silence in the brightly lit estate. The cinematic colors of the room felt like a grotesque painting, a beautiful facade masking a rotten, decaying core. Adrian stood in the center of the wreckage, holding his daughter securely against his powerful chest, the smartphone clenched tightly in his other hand.
"We are leaving," Adrian announced, his voice dropping back into its low, dangerous register.
He turned his back on Theresa, entirely dismissing her pathetic existence. He looked directly at Walter. The older man’s fair, rosy face was aged a decade in the span of five minutes.
"Adrian, please," Walter wept softly. "Don't walk away from the firm. Don't walk away from the family. We can fix this."
"There is no family," Adrian stated coldly. His dark, intimidating eyes swept across the room, analyzing the faces of the wealthy, cowardly guests who had stood by and watched a child suffocate. "There is only a collection of vipers. I am severing all ties. I will have my lawyers draft the resignation and the divestment papers by tomorrow morning."
"You can't just walk away!" Walter argued desperately. "The firm needs you! You built the last three acquisitions!"
"Then watch them burn," Adrian replied, absolutely devoid of empathy.
He turned to Brianna, who was still standing bravely near the center of the room. The twenty-eight-year-old woman looked terrified, but she held her head high.
"You did the right thing today, Brianna," Adrian told her, his tone softening with genuine respect. "If they try to retaliate against you, or push you out of the trust, you call me. I will dismantle them."
"Thank you, Adrian," Brianna whispered, nodding slowly. "Take care of Lila."
Adrian adjusted his grip on his daughter, ensuring she was completely safe and comfortable. He turned and began walking toward the grand double doors of the living room. The crowd of wealthy American guests parted instantly, giving him a wide berth, terrified of the man who exuded such absolute, lethal power.
He didn't look back as he crossed the threshold, stepping out into the expansive, sunlit foyer of the estate. The heavy front doors opened, and he walked out into the bright afternoon air, the heat of the sun a welcome relief from the cold, toxic atmosphere of the house.
He walked down the long, paved driveway toward his car. He had the video evidence secured in his pocket. He had the power, the resources, and the unyielding intellect to ensure Theresa spent the rest of her life in a concrete cell.
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But as he strapped Lila safely into her car seat, pressing a tender kiss to her glowing, bronze forehead, his mind was already calculating the next steps. The Mercer family was vindictive and incredibly powerful. They would not let him walk away with their secrets and their prime asset without a fight. They would hire lawyers. They would hire muscle.
Adrian closed the car door and walked around to the driver's side. His sharply defined jawline clenched as he looked back at the massive estate one last time. He had protected his daughter today, but the war for her permanent safety had only just begun. And as he slipped behind the wheel, his cold, sharp eyes promised an absolute, devastating reckoning.
