bChapter /bb244 /b

    ADRIAN’S POV

    “And why did you think I was your bodyguard?” I asked the little boy, my voice calm but tinged with curiosity.

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    b20 /b

    He tilted his head slightly, almost like he was surprised I even had to ask. “Well, myst bodyguard rushed off saying there was an emergency,” Charlie replied matter–of–factly, his small hands fiddling with the zipper of his jacket. “And then you came along Mooking all dressed up, so I assumed you were my next bodyguard.”

    The corners of my lips tugged into a small, reluctant smile. The logic made sense… for a kid. “Sorry to disappoint you, little man,” I said, leaning down so we were closer to eye level. “But I’m not your next bodyguard. I’m inot /ieven a bodyguard at all. I’m just a guest, and I was on my way to wash my face.”

    I watched the expression on his face shift almost instantly. His shoulders dropped a little, the faint sparkle in his eyes dimming, like the thought of being alone again didn’t sit well with him. Most kids his age would probably be thrilled to have their bodyguard leave, they’d run around freely, y games without supervision, maybe even sneak snacks they weren’t supposed to have. But this kid… no. He looked like someone who needed that constant presence, like the idea of being unprotected made him uneasy.

    And that look, fear, subtle but real hit something in me. I couldn’t tell what exactly he was scared of, or if it was just a habit, but for some reason I found myself wanting to stay a little longer.

    “Do you know when your previous bodyguard will being back?” I asked after a moment, keeping my tone light so I didn’t spook him.

    He shook his head, slow and deliberate. “No.”

    I nced up and down the hallway. It was strangely quiet for a ce this size, no security guards patrolling, no footsteps echoing against the floor. The kid’s bodyguard hadn’t abandoned him, at least not intentionally. Whoever it was would have to return eventually especially if this ‘emergency‘ he mentioned was connected to the security detail. Still, leaving a kid alone, even for a few minutes, didn’t sit right with me.

    I sighed quietly. “Well,” I said, straightening my back, “it’s not gonna hurt if I stay with you for a bit. Just until your bodyguardes back, yeah?”

    Charlie’s head lifted slighty, and for the first time, I saw relief flicker across his features. He didn’t smile, not exactly, but his slow nod told me more than words could. He wanted me to stay.

    That surprised me, given we’d just met. Kids didn’t usually trust strangers so quickly, at least, not cautious kids like this one. There was something in his gaze, a guarded awareness, as if he’d seen or experienced things that made him quicker to evaluate people.

    “Alright then,” I said, my voice taking on a lighter tone, “guess I’m on temporary guard duty.” I gestured toward the room he’de from. “What’s in there? Looks like you’ve got enough noise going on for a whole arcade.”

    His eyes lit up just a fraction. “My games. And snacks.”

    I chuckled. “Games and snacks? Sounds like you’ve got the best hideout in the building.”

    As we started walking back toward the doorway, I threw another nce down the hallway. Still no movement, no sign of returning security. My instincts told me to stay alert just in case this ‘emergency‘ was bigger than it sounded.

    I stopped just short of the door and turned back to him. “I hope I’m not gonna get in trouble when your guy finds me in here with you, right?” I asked, raising an eyebrow jokingly.

    17:41 Mon, 25 Aug

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    With no sign of anyone anywhere in the hallway, I figured we might as well head back into the room. The moment we stepped inside, it was like the door quietly sealed us off from the rest of the world. And just like that, I realized I’d be an unofficial

    babysitter.

    The room was massivelyrger than some apartments I’d lived in back when I was younger. It had everything a kid could ever want: a huge t–screen mounted on the wall, shelves lined with colorful board games, an entire corner stocked with toys, bean bags, and at least two different gaming consoles. There was even a mini–fridge that hummed softly in the corner, probably packed with enough snacks and drinks tost him a week.

    I couldn’t understand why any kid would be scared in a room like this. It was basically paradise for someone his age. But then I remembered the look I’d seen in Charlie’s eyes just a few moments ago that flicker of fear. Fear doesn’te from ack of toys or space, ites from something deeper. And that stayed in my mind.

    I might be a monster by some people’s definition. I’ve done things that would keep most people up at night but even I’m not cruel enough to ignore that. Something about this kid… I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was a pull, something that made me want to stay just a little longer.

    *This ce is amazing,” I said, letting my eyes wander across the room again. “Your mom did all this for you?”

    “Yesss,” he replied without hesitation, his little voice stretching out the word. Before I could ask more, he was already hurrying toward the PS5 console like he’d just remembered it was calling his name.

    That got me thinking. If his mom had the resources and the pull to set up a room like this in Olivia’s building, then she had to be someone important maybe a close friend or trusted associate. Olivia didn’t just hand out favors like this to strangers.

    “This is a lot of special treatment,” I murmured to myself, still scanning the ce. “Just who exactly is your mom?”

    Charlie didn’t even pause the game as he answered. “Olivia ke.”

    The words hit me like a sledgehammer. My entire body froze, my thoughts scrambling as if they’d just been thrown into a blender. I turned to look at him, my eyes widening before I could even control my reaction.

    It was like I’d heard something impossible–something that couldn’t be real. My pulse kicked up, and I swallowed hard, almost

    certain I’d misheard him.

    b“/bWhat… what did you just say?” I asked, my voice a little too sharp, a little too unsteady.

    He nced at me briefly, confused by my reaction. “You asked me who my mother was, and I told you my mother is Olivia ke.” Then, without missing a beat, his focus returned to the game, his small hands gripping the controller as if nothing earth–shattering had just left his mouth.

    I felt like the floor had shifted under me.

    Olivia ke. His mother.

    The realization mmed into me in waves, each one heavier than thest. My mind was racing with questions I couldn’t even begin to untangle. This boy, this kid who looked so much like me when I was younger… Olivia was his mother?

    I stepped back slightly, my breathing shallow. If this was true, then it opened a hundred doors to questions I wasn’t sure I wanted answers to. Memories of Olivia shed in my mind–our past, the tension, the unspoken words between us.

    Before I could process any of it, before I could even figure out how to ask Charlie the next question, the door to the room swung

    open.

    17:41 Mon, 25 Aug

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    At first, I thought it was just the bodyguard finally returning to reim his post. My shoulders started to rx, ready to hand the kid back over and retreat to the hallway where I could think.

    But then I saw who it was.

    And it was far more than just a bodyguard.

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