Earlier This Morning
Adrian Blackwell moved through Thornhaven Manor's western wing with practiced efficiency, his Enhanced perception tracking security details with the kind of attention that had become second nature over the past year.
Everything was normal.
The perimeter guards maintained their rotations with precision.
The surveillance systems showed no anomalies.
The estate's defensive formations hummed with steady power that spoke of regular maintenance and expert calibration.
Just another day.
Except it wasn't.
Today, Catherine had a meeting scheduled. A visitor... someone important enough that she'd requested Victoria Blackwood personally escort them.
Which meant Adrian and the rest of the security team had spent the morning ensuring every detail was perfect, every contingency planned, every potential threat assessed and neutralized before it could even approach the gates.
