As she walked forward with grace in every stride, each click of the heels she wore could be heard loudly as the entire estate was now silent
There was no need for Selena Hart to raise her voice. The aura she exuded alone was enough to make a bold statement that even a dumb person would understand.
"Adrian," she said, her eyes steady on his. "We're leaving."
That was not a question or a request, it was an order.
Adrian swallowed hard, he was still trying to understand the surreal turn his night had taken. Couple of hours ago, he was a broken waiter with a bloodied lip and a shattered heart. Now, a stranger walked into the Frederick estate like she controlled the world and nothing can stop her.
Evelyn's face twisted with outrage.
"You can't take him anywhere! He's our responsibility!"
Selena didn't even stop to look at her.
"Mr. Vale does not belong here."
Evelyn stomped forward, pointing a shaking finger inches away from Selena's chest.
"And who the hell do you think you..."
A sharp metallic click cut her off.
Selena's bodyguard had stepped between them. He moved in so fast that Adrian blinked and almost missed it. The guard's stance was perfect, his hand resting on the holstered FN Herstal FNX he carried. As he stood there, he said nothing threatening but a message was passed on to Evelyn.
Selena finally looked at her.
"I advise you to lower your hand, Mrs. Frederick.
Sliding her index finger on the shoulder of the guard she said.
"My men don't take kindly to hostile gestures."
There was no trace of anger or threat in her voice. She was as calm as water in a cup.
Evelyn snatched her hand back, but her glare became more intense.
"You can't walk in here like this and do whatever you feel like doing. Adrian is….he's ours! We raised him!"
Adrian felt a bitter scoff leave his chest.
'Now she cares?'
Selena's gaze shifted to him for a moment. She was quietly assessing him and then she stared Evelyn dead in the eye as she walked slowly towards her with a menacing aura.
"Raised?" she repeated softly. "Is that what you call forcing a child to live in a storage room? Or making him work for every dollar to pay for the food…." There was a brief pause. "....you often denied him?"
Adrian blinked.
'How did she know that?'
Evelyn couldn't say a word and just stood there and couldn't even look Selena in the eye as Selena hovered over her like a wild cat over its prey.
Selena continued, her voice still calm but felt sharp as a cobra's fang,
"The Vale family is aware of everything that occurred under this roof."
Charles stepped forward now, puffing up his chest.
"You have no right to make accusations….."
Selena raised her hand. Instantly, every one of her guards moved.
Two stepped forward, blocking Evelyn and Charles. Another positioned himself beside Adrian like a tank in a RPG game. A fourth stood near the gate, scanning the perimeter.
The smooth coordination sent a chill down Adrian's spine.
'These are not ordinary bodyguards.' he thought to himself.
These were people who had trained their entire lives to move like a single organism.
Selena stepped closer to him.
"Are you hurt?"
Adrian hesitated for a minute still contemplating if he could trust Selena amidst this confusion he found himself in.
"I'm fine."
"You're bleeding," she murmured, her gaze shifting to his lip.
He stiffened but immediately rearranged his composure. "It's nothing."
She didn't argue. She simply nodded, like she was filing that information away for later.
Then she turned to the Frederick couple one last time.
"Adrian Vale is no longer under your care," she said. "He is now under mine."
Evelyn exploded almost immediately shouting at the top of her voice.
"You think you can just steal him like some prize?! He belongs….."
"Mrs. Frederick," Selena interrupted, stepping close enough that their foreheads almost touched. "I mean Evelyn, If you attempt to interfere with him again...even once...I will personally make sure your entire family is investigated….." She paused as she shifted her gaze to Mr. Fredrick ".....thoroughly."
Evelyn's breath hitched.
"Tax audits," Selena continued. "Real estate violations. Labor malpractice. And that unregistered offshore account you opened seven years ago."
Evelyn became so weak in her knees.
Adrian stared.
'Who is she?'
Selena leaned in, her voice barely a whisper.
"Feel free to try me."
Charles and Evelyn both stood there frozen, powerless for perhaps the first time in their lives.
Selena turned to her guards.
"Escort Mr. Vale to the car."
Adrian tensed. "Hey….wait….what, I can walk."
Selena met his gaze again.
"I know. But you're overwhelmed, bleeding, and emotionally compromised. Allow us to do our job."
Her honesty disarmed him more than anything else had.
She was stating the truth plainly like someone who didn't have time to waste.
Adrian took a slow breath and nodded.
"Fine."
One guard walked ahead, two flanked his sides. Selena fell in step behind them, silent as a shadow as she adjusted her coat.
They moved across the driveway toward the Maybach, the crisp night air biting at his skin.
As they passed the servants, the same men who once smirked at him, all lowered their heads.
At this point, it was not to him. It was to Selena.
And somehow...that made his chest ache in a strange way.
When Selena and Adrian were at the gate, Evelyn finally snapped out of her stupor.
"Adrian! Adrian, wait!"
He stopped.
Evelyn ran after them, her face flushed, voice shrill.
"You ungrateful brat! We fed you, clothed you…."
Adrian turned slowly.
All his life he had swallowed words. Bent his head. Endured.
But tonight he felt something unravel inside him…
"No," he said quietly as he walked back to her with newfound confidence in his steps. "You fed me scraps. You clothed me in things Damon didn't want. You made me feel like a burden in a house I cleaned more than I lived in."
Evelyn blinked as he stood in front of her with his eyes locked on hers.
"And the worst part," Adrian added, "is that I started to believe you when you said I wasn't worth anything."
Evelyn's mouth opened…..but nothing came out and she just fell to her knees.
Selena's gaze lingered on Adrian for a long, unreadable moment.
Then she opened the car door.
"Mr. Vale."
Adrian hesitated only a second as he looked at Evelyn's pitiful self on the ground.