Adrian stared at her, and something surprising happened. The fear drained out.
In its place came a cold, focused calm. Because Adrian understood one thing clearly:
If he played by her rules, he would lose Hannah. So he stopped playing.
The Escape That Didn’t Feel Like Victory
Adrian ran upstairs, grabbed a small backpack, and packed fast—clothes, Hannah’s sketchbook, the giant teddy bear he’d brought, anything that still felt like her. Hannah blinked awake, rubbing her eyes. “Dad?”
Adrian crouched in front of her, keeping his voice steady even though his hands shook.
“We’re leaving. Right now.”
They didn’t go down the grand staircase. They used the service stairs.
In the garage, Adrian ignored his luxury cars. Too easy to track. Too many built-in systems.
Too many ways Vanessa could reach him. Instead, Diane waited near the back door with her old sedan keys. Her eyes were wet.
“Go,” she whispered, pressing a thick envelope into his hand. “It’s cash. It’s not much, but it’s all I have.”
Adrian tried to refuse.
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