Chapter 143 Adeline

Chapter 143 Adeline
Adeline's POV 

The euphoria of the birthday celebration vanished with the morning fog. I woke up to an empty bed and a silence in the penthouse that wasn't natural at all.

I also know that Percy was still around because he hadn't woken me up to tell me he was heading to work.

I found Percy in his study with the balcony doors shut tight and the blinds drawn. The room was illuminated only by the flicker of the different monitors in the room. 

Percy was standing in the center of the room with his back to me, but I could still tell that he was angry by how rigidly he held himself. Silas was on one screen, Alex on another, and a third showed a grainy, smoke-filled live feed from a location I didn't recognize.

"Tell me again." Percy’s voice was a low growl that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"Port 42, Boss," Silas’s voice crackled through the speakers. "The secondary logistics warehouse. It went up at 3:15 AM. We lost the entire shipment of medical supplies meant for the merger’s charitable launch."

"The casualty count?"

"Two guards injured, none dead. They weren't looking to kill our men, Boss." Silas paused. "They were there to deliver a message.

That got my attention, and I stepped fully into the room, my hand instinctively dropping to my stomach. "Percy? What message?"

He didn't turn around immediately. He stayed staring at the screen where a still image had just been pulled up. It was a photograph taken by a forensic team. In the middle of the charred remains of a shipping crate, which was also the only thing in the warehouse that hadn't been turned to ash, sat a small, pristine white onesie.

It was untouched by the soot, which could only mean one thing: it was placed there after the whole place got burnt. 

"It’s a onesie, Adeline," Percy said, finally turning to face me. "It's a baby cloth." If I had any doubt before that Ilya had somehow found out about my babies, it was no longer there. 

His eyes were a shade of black I hadn't seen in months. We had been planning on transferring the ownership of the syndicate off, but now the whole plan was busted to hell.

Right now, he was not the man that had danced with me all night on my birthday until my feet hurt like crazy or the ruthless lawyer in the courthouse. Standing before me was the King of New York, a man whom his opponents had underestimated because he had been handed the leadership position. They soon came to know that he was not to be messed with.

"He knows," I whispered, the air in my lungs feeling thin. "Ilya knows."

"He knows everything," Percy said, walking toward me. He didn't touch me. He looked as if he were afraid his own rage might make him hurt me. "He didn't bomb that warehouse to hurt my business, which actually is not possible; it was to tell me that my heirs aren't safe. That he could hurt them at will." 

I looked at the screen again. The onesie was tiny, designed for a newborn. It terrified me to know that Ilya could turn something so innocent into a threat. It was truly scary.

"Silas, find the courier or at least the maker of this onesie. It's a long shot, but it could lead us to him before he finds out anything." Percy commanded, his gaze returning to the monitor. "Find the person who placed that item after the attack. I don't care how many blocks you have to burn or how many people you have to squeeze. I want a name by noon."

"On it, Boss."

Percy turned back to me, and he looked a little bit better now that he knew they were doing something about it. He reached out, his large hand cupping my cheek tenderly. 

"Twins," he rasped. "Yesterday, when we blew out those candles, I know you said you had everything you wanted, but I still wished our children would arrive safely." 

I leaned into his palm. "Ilya is trying to scare us. He’s a cornered animal using his sidepiece to stir trouble in court and a few bombs because he knows he can't beat us any other way. Our babies will arrive safely."

"He’s not cornered yet," Percy countered. He pulled me into his chest, hugging me to him but careful enough to not crush my stomach. "I was going to let the mob go. I was going to hand the keys to the Vory and walk away with you back into the world we want for our children, but I can't do that now."

"Until things settle down?"

"There will always be people looking to test us. I want to be capable of securing our children. Besides, handing the key to the city to the Vory is just stupid. Who knows what he might do with it?"

I pulled back to look at him. "What are you saying?"

"That this is the best way."

"Percy, we agreed..."

"We agreed when we thought it was just a legal battle!" he growled. "He bombed a warehouse and left a baby's garment in the debris, Adeline! The rules have changed. He took our peace the first time, and I let him get away with it, and now he’s coming for our children’s future. I’m done playing defense."

By midday, the penthouse had been transformed into a command center of sorts. Alex requested that Zara be bought in. She protested, but when Alex showed her what we were dealing with, she relented.

Melissa and Sloane too were forced into the lockdown. I tried to distract myself with work, but curiosity about what was going on outside wouldn't let me concentrate.

"I found the link," Ella said timidly. Alex swore she was one of the best hackers/tech experts out there. "The explosives used in the warehouse. They sourced through a construction company that Mason Bernard represented three years ago. The paper trail is thin, but it leads back to Ilya’s shell companies in the Caymans."

"It’s not enough to arrest him." I shook my head. "It’s circumstantial at best. Besides, Mason will have a dozen alibis ready."

"I don't need to arrest him," Percy said, walking into the room. He was wearing his shoulder holster again. "I just need to know where he’s sleeping."

"Percy, if you go after him like this, the lawsuit..."

"The lawsuit doesn't matter if we’re dead, Adeline!" Percy turned to the room, his voice echoing off the glass. "Alex, take four men. I want the perimeter of this building tripled. Mark, you stay on this floor. No one enters. No one leaves. Not even known people."

He looked at me, and for a moment, I got my man back. He kissed my forehead.

"Stay with your sister and Melissa. I’ll be back with good news."

"Please, Percy. Be careful."

"Don't worry. I have a lot to live for now."

"I will see you soon?"

"Real soon, baby." He pressed a kiss to my lips before he joined the rest in the elevator. 

Zara led me to a seat after he was gone. "We're going to win this," she whispered.

"I know," I agreed. "But I don't know if this will ever end."