Chapter 59 Adeline
Adeline's POV
We both watched as Tiny disappeared into the confines of the elevator.
"I..."
Percy lets out a long sigh and runs a hand through his hair. He looks exhausted, and the circles under his eyes are darker today, and the stress of the last week is etching lines into his face that weren't there before. Seeing him look like that broke me, so I just swallowed my own worry because it would only make him worry more than he's already doing.
"I have to go to the precinct," he says, grabbing his jacket. "Miller needs to see this. We can use it to squeeze Mason’s lawyer."
"I’ll come with you," I say, grabbing my coat too, but he quickly stops me.
"No," Percy says sharply, then he softens, seeing my expression. "No, Adeline. It’s safer here. The penthouse is a fortress, and we don't know who's out there watching us. I can't take any chances with your safety, you know that?"
"But..."
"But nothing. You have to stay here."
"Fine," I huff. "Would you at least take Tiny with you?"
"Fine, I'll take him with me."
"Thank you."
He kisses my forehead with his cold lips. "Stay inside. Don't open the door for anyone but me or Tiny. Mom is in the guest suite if you need company." Her company would be the last I'd ever need, but I just nod.
"Take care, Percy."
"I will, baby." And with that, he leaves. With nothing else to do, the house falls silent, and there's nothing to keep me from spiraling in my thoughts. I wrap my arms around myself and find myself staring at the empty space on the counter where the box was.
"The next one won't be an accident." I recall the word on the card endlessly. What if I didn't survive the next one? Or worse, what if he went after my mother or Percy? What would I do then?
I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't hear or feel company until she spoke.
"He looks tired, doesn't he?" I yelped and almost jumped out of my skin. I turn around to see Lucia standing in the doorway of the living room in a silk kimono that probably cost more than a small modest car, sipping a cup of clear hot liquid. She walks over to me with such grace that I can't help but admire it.
"I didn't hear you come in."
"You were too busy staring into space." I barely restrain myself from rolling my eyes.
"What do you want, Lucia?"
"Percy," she clarifies. "He looks drained. I’ve never seen him like this."
"You've never seen him at all. How would you know what he looks like during different stages?" It was meant to hurt her, and it did, judging by the hurt that flashed in her eye that she quickly blinked away. I would have felt pity for her if she wasn't acting as if she's always been part of his life. Not when she was the one that walked away from him.
"I've been catching up on his life."
"Hmm."
"My point is, even during the hostile takeover that happened last year, he had a spark. It was in his eyes because he cared about what he was doing. He was tired from doing something he's so passionate about, but now? He looks like a man carrying the weight of the world, and he's definitely not enjoying that weight at all."
"He’s protecting us," I say defensively. "It’s a heavy load."
"It is," she agrees, setting her cup down. "And he carries it alone. That is the Akilov way, isn't it? Sacrifice everything for the family even if it breaks you." Now she's going to insert herself as the queen of sacrifices.
"Percy is not a weak man, and he knows his own limits."
"Of course, my son is a strong man." She looks at me with wide sympathetic eyes, but there is a sharpness behind them. "I'm only worried about his heart, Adeline. The stress—it kills men like him. Richard had his first bypass at fifty. Percy is barely thirty, and look at him. "I know what she really wants to say is, look what you're doing to him.
"We’re doing everything we can," I tell her. "I'm doing everything I can to help him. We're also getting help from the police and other security forces."
"Security," she scoffs. "Security stops bullets, Cara, not stress. It doesn't stop the fear that wakes him up during the night either."
She moves closer, so close that I can smell her expensive soap and perfume. "Do you know why he is so afraid?" she asks softly.
"Because there's a maniac hunting us." I say in a duh tone.
"No, it's because there's a maniac hunting you," she corrects, and I feel the full weight of her words like a slap on my face. "Let’s be honest, Adeline. That man doesn't care about Percy or about the firm. He cares about you. You are the daughter who betrayed him."
I flinch. "I know that."
"Then you know that Percy is only in danger because he is standing next to you," she says. "He is collateral damage because if a bullet meant for you hits him, that would be a tragedy, wouldn't it?"
I feel the blood drain from my face. "Stop it."
"I’m just telling the truth, darling. Someone has to." She sighs. "You love him, don't you?"
"More than anything."
"Then ask yourself," she says, leaning in. "Is staying here with him, keeping him in the line of fire, really love? Or is it something else, like selfishness?"
I stare at her. "What are you saying?"
"I’m saying that sometimes, the bravest thing a woman can do is leave," she whispers. "Remove him from the crossfire. If you weren't here, say if you went away for a while, then the threat would go with you. Percy would be safe."
"You want me to leave him?" I ask, my voice cracking.
"I want him to live," she says simply. "And I think you do too."
She reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Think about it, Adeline. Look at the circles under his eyes tonight, and look at the way his hands shake when he thinks you aren't looking, and ask yourself if you can live with being the reason he gets hurt."
She picks up her tea and walks back toward the guest suite. "I’m going to rest," she says over her shoulder. "Try to relax, dear. Stress is bad for the complexion."
She leaves me standing in the middle of the kitchen, and the silence is louder than ever. Lucia, however malicious, might be telling the truth. He is tired and exhausted. On top of that, he's desperate to find my father.
Is she right? Am I the anchor dragging him down? I remember the crushed toy car and decide that if the next thing crushed is Percy, it will be my fault.
I walk to the window and look out at the city. There is one thing Lucia did get right. It's that Ilya is hunting me, and as long as I am standing next to Percy, he's a target.