Chapter 256

Adrian moves through the entrance hall unhurriedly, his men fanning out behind him with the casual confidence of people who believe grief has left this house wide open.

I watch it all from the surveillance room, my stomach in knots, my father silent beside me with his jaw locked tight.

Then one of Adrian’s men stops near a hallway camera, tilting his head at it.

​The camera turns.

On screen, Adrian goes still, and I watch understanding move across his face a half second before he looks straight up into the lens, straight at us, and smiles. He shakes his head slightly, almost admiring, and lifts a phone to his mouth, saying something we can’t hear.

“He knows,” I breathe.

​Outside, headlights sweep across the gates as the funeral convoy returns, but it isn’t carrying grieving relatives in suits. A dozen black SUVs roll up the driveway, tearing across the manicured lawn to form a tight, armored circle around the mansion.

​Our men pour out o