Chapter 82 Third Person's POV
Third person's POV
Like a physical wall between them, the heavy elevator door slid close, leaving Percy glaring in the direction of the elevator while Adeline dropped down in the direction of the lobby and out into the street.
The descent felt less like an elevator ride and more like a free-fall, because that was exactly how her life was right now, in a free fall.
Adeline leaned her forehead against the cool metal wall, her eyes squeezed shut as the adrenaline finally snapped, leaving behind a violent, full-body tremble that threatened to make her cry. Her left hand also felt impossibly light in the absence of the diamond ring she used to wear then. She had underestimated how used to it she was until she no longer had it on.
When the doors opened into the grand marble lobby downstairs, she didn't hesitate or look at the security guards who watched her with silent, confused expressions. She pushed through the revolving glass doors and stepped out into the cold night. It was then that she discovered that it was raining. Rainy days meant she could sleep in with Percy holding her tightly from behind... She banished the thought from her mind and focused on putting one leg after the other and, most importantly, not looking back because she didn't trust that she wouldn't run back.
Once she was fully soaked by the rain, she let the Ghost part of her take over. The first thing she did was walk three blocks down with her head down before hailing a cab. Only an amateur would take a cab in front of the building she was running from, and Ghost was no amateur.
As she walked, she blended with the crowd and checked her reflection in the dark windows of closed storefronts, her dark eyes scanning the streets to make sure she wasn't being followed. A night like this would make following someone really easy.
At some point during her walk, she came to a stop at a corner and contemplated where she could stay for the night. A cheap motel in Queens would be untraceable, but it would also leave her entirely exposed and at the mercy of anyone to attack her. She was not so heartbroken that she forgot that her father was still at large.
Pulling her phone from her pocket, she scrolled past Percy’s name with a painful twist in her chest and stopped on a contact she wasn't really sure about.
While she now regarded Zara as a friend, she wasn't sure they were at that place in the phase of their friendship where she could tell her the truth about the complicated relationship she had with the men in her life.
It was a massive risk. She had known Zara for less than a week, but Zara's building was secure: doormen, security cameras, and a loyalty that Adeline desperately needed right now.
Before she could think too much about it, she told the cab driver the address. Thirty minutes later, Adeline stood shivering in front of Zara’s building. The doorman had eyed her wet coat and duffel bag with heavy suspicion before finally buzzing the penthouse for her.
When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, Zara was already standing in the hallway in a set of emerald green silk pajamas, her dark hair wrapped in a silk scarf, holding a half-empty glass of wine.
"Adeline," Zara breathed, immediately setting her wine glass on a table and rushing forward.
"I didn't know where else to go," Adeline whispered, her voice finally breaking. "I’m sorry. I shouldn't have come without running it by you first."
"Stop," Zara commanded softly, grabbing her and pulling her firmly into the warm, lit apartment. "Don't apologize or explain anything yet."
Zara could have asked her a million questions about why she was out in the rain, but she didn't. She just took the overnight bag from Adeline's frozen fingers and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders.
"I’ve got you," Zara murmured, leading her toward the living room. "You're safe here."
On the other side of the city, the rain was the last thing on Percy’s mind. His penthouse now felt like a tomb to him now that Adeline had carried her light and his heart with her. The diamond ring sat exactly where she had left it, beside the file that had destroyed his life.
He had billions of dollars. He commanded a legal corporate empire that stretched across the globe, and he had just traded the only thing that actually mattered for a throne he never wanted.
He could still hear the heartbreaking finality in her voice. "I survived the dark before I met you, Percy. I'll survive it now." The most annoying part was that she was right.
His jaw locked with that realization, and the devastating grief threatening to pull him under was violently shoved aside. This was not the time to dwell on it.
She had walked out of his protection, but she was dreaming if she ever thought he was going to let her out of his sight. He sighed and moved to do what needed to be done. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out the black encrypted device and
dialed a secure number.
The line rang once before a deep, heavily accented voice answered. "Boss."
"Volkov," Percy said, his voice dropping into one of terrifying authority. "I need a shadow detail mobilized immediately."
"Give me the target," Volkov replied.
"Not a target, an important asset," Percy corrected, his eyes fixed on the diamond ring. "Adeline Volkov just left the building. I want four of your best men on her, rotating shifts, twenty-four hours a day. Get a trace on her cell phone and find out where she went. Once you locate her, get a team there."
There was a brief pause on the line. Volkov was a ruthless enforcer, but he wasn't stupid. He understood the gravity of what was being asked of him.
"Understood, Boss. What are your orders?"
"She is not to see them," Percy commanded. "They do not approach her or speak to her, but if any man, again, any man or anyone who looks at her the wrong way gets within fifty feet of her, kill them." There was no feeling or remorse in his voice.
"It’s done," Volkov said, and the line clicked dead.
Percy lowered the phone and walked over to the windows that overlooked the city below. He had broken her heart to keep her breathing. Now, he was going to make sure the city knew that even though the Queen had left the castle, she still belonged to the King.
Back in Zara's apartment, Adeline lay on Zara’s plush sofa, wrapped in a thick cashmere blanket. Zara had made her tea and offered her a spare bedroom, but Adeline declined, choosing to stay in the comfort of the living room couch.
Zara had simply turned off the main lights and promised they would talk tomorrow.
She wondered if she had done the right thing by putting herself first. She finally let her eyes slide shut and let the rhythmic sound of the rain against the window lull her into a fitful sleep, entirely unaware of the dark sedan that had just parked silently across the street, keeping watch over her.