Chapter 51 Adeline
Adeline's POV
Walking through the lobby of Royal and Associates has always made me feel like a winner. Always made me feel like I've earned my place in the world. Especially more so after I became junior partner. Walking in heels and a smart gown was a confidence booster, but not today.
Today, the glass walls made me feel like I was on display after I learned that my every move was being watched.
The fact that I had company wasn't helping my case at all. Percy made Tiny follow me around, so now I had a bodyguard.
"Clear," Tiny murmurs into his lapel mic, stepping out of the elevator first. I thought it was completely unnecessary seeing as I was in the building, but Percy wouldn't hear of it. He wanted me to be watched at all times.
I step out after him, clutching my briefcase like a shield. My knuckles are white against the handle as I scan every face in the lobby, wondering if they were the one watching me. I was paranoid and not even trying to talk myself out of it.
"Keep moving, Ms. Volkov," Tiny says, his voice as he places a massive hand on my back, steering me toward my office. It’s meant to be protective, but it makes me feel like a prisoner.
We move through the lobby like that, and all eyes are on us, but I keep my eyes straight forward to avoid making eye contact with anyone in the office.
I'm already the topic of the rumor mill in the office following my recent engagement to Percy, but this will only make it so much worse.
"She thinks she's so important that she needs to be protected from us?"
"Even Mr. Akilov doesn't move around with such security, tch." They try to whisper, but I can hear them.
By the time we reach my office and Tiny has swept the room for bugs, my hands are shaking badly.
"I’ll be at the desk," Tiny informs me, taking up a position that blocks the view of the main corridor. "Grigori is at the fire exit. Don't leave this floor without me."
"I know the drill, Tiny," I say, my voice tight. I take my seat behind my desk and look through all the work I have to get done today. I turn on my computer and get to work. At least, I try to, but my mind won't just settle on anything else other than the fact that I'm being stalked.
I open the brief on intellectual property rights and read the first sentence three times before my phone buzzes on my desk, making me jump so hard that I knock things over, including my coffee.
"Damn it," I hiss, scrambling for tissues and my phone at the same time, terrified of what I’ll see. Luckily for me, the notification is from HR about a reminder about the upcoming company picnic.
I exhale harshly. Then and there, I decide that I can no longer pretend that everything is alright. I'm being stalked and watched by a psychopath. Said psychopath wants me to pay a fee, or else they will hurt my mother, and I'm tired of pretending that everything is fine when it is not.
"You're shaking." Apparently, I'm so deep in my head that I don't even hear someone walk up to my office. I look up to find Percy standing in the doorway. He looks dashing, as usual. His charcoal suit is tailored to perfection, his tie is a deep crimson silk, and his hair is swept back, but up close, I know he's the last thing from perfect. There are dark circles under his eyes, and the lines around his mouth are tighter than usual. He hasn't slept since the text message arrived two nights ago, same as me.
"I spilled my coffee," I say, gesturing vaguely to the mess. "I’m fine."
Percy steps inside and closes the door. He hits the button that makes the glass walls opaque.
"You’re not fine," he says softly, walking around the desk to pull me out of my chair. "Your hands are shaking."
"I’m just... jumpy," I admit, leaning back against the desk as he boxes me in with his arms. It’s his favorite pose and my favorite position to be in. Usually, it makes me feel safe, but today? It only serves to remind me that there's a real threat out there that I need protection from.
"Has there been another message?" he asks; his voice drops as if he's afraid that we're being listened to.
"No," I whisper. "That’s almost worse than those messages, you know? The silence feels like the calm before the storm. I keep waiting for the phone to ring. I keep waiting for them to send a picture of... of something worse."
Percy runs a hand through my hair, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "Tiny says you kept glancing around."
"I'm just being paranoid. It's like I'm hoping to catch them myself, which is just stupid." I shake my head to free myself of the eyes I feel on me.
"Baby..."
"I just feel like they're laughing at us."
"They're waiting, and while they wait, they’re giving us more time to hunt them down. My team has traced the signal to a server farm in Ukraine, but there's a high chance it's only a decoy being operated from here."
"From here."
"Most likely, but yeah." He sighs, resting his forehead against mine. "I hate this. I hate seeing you like this. You’re the Ghost, Adeline. You’re supposed to be fearless."
"The Ghost was fearless because she had nothing to lose," I tell him. "I have everything to lose now: you, my career, and Mom."
"You're not going to lose anyone of us."
At the mention of my mother, a fresh wave of nausea hits me. "She filed a complaint this morning with the neighborhood watch about a creepy van parked down the street. Said it made her feel unsafe." I manage a small laugh at the irony of it all. What she doesn't know is that she's safe because of that creepy van.
"At least now you know she takes note of her surroundings." He says dryly.
"She doesn't know she's a target because of me. It's all my fault."
"Adeline," Percy warns. "Don't go there."
"I have to go there," I say, opening my eyes to look at him. "We need to talk, Percy, but not here."
Percy studies my face before nodding. "Okay," he says. He straightens up and checks his watch. "Let's go."
"I have a merger meeting in twenty minutes," I protest without any conviction.
"Cancel it," Percy says, grabbing my coat from the rack. "I’m the boss, and I’m giving you the rest of the day off."
"Percy."
He helps me into my coat. "We’re going home," he says.
"This doesn't feel right. Us leaving together this early in the morning will only spark more rumors."
"Ask me if I care. The only thing I care about right now is hearing who you have to name as suspects because I know you have suspects."
He's right, I do, so I follow him.