"Why is the window open?"


    Early in the morning, M felt a chill in the room. She noticed the bedroom window was ajar and muttered to herself as she walked over to close it, tossing the question over her shoulder to Adrian, who had just woken up.


    "Adrian, did you or Miss Cara open the window yesterday? Remember to close it after airing out the room-sleeping with the window open at night can make you sick."


    "No, we didn''t," Adrian replied, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "We yed downstairs all day. We never even came up here."


    Really?


    M''s hand froze on the windowtch.


    She distinctly remembered shutting the window before leaving yesterday. No one


    else had been home. If it wasn''t Adrian or Cara... then who had done it?


    A gust of cold air swept in, and a chill ran through her entire body.


    Her scalp prickled.


    "Adrian, go ahead and get washed up."


    She closed the window and hurried straight to the study. The vi was equipped with surveince cameras; M keyed in the password and pulled up the footage. Everything looked normal.


    Absolutely normal.


    But how could that be, when the window was open?


    She was sure her memory hadn''t failed her not on something as simple as this, and not just a day ago.


    Determined, M pulled up the entire day''s recordings and began reviewing them frame by frame. Time slipped by, and a cold sweat broke out on her skin. Something was wrong with the footage-there were signs it had been tampered with.


    Which meant-


    Someone had entered her house yesterday, without her knowledge. No, wait.


    It might have happened more than once.


    This was just the first time she''d caught it.


    But who? Cossio? Lysander?


    Whoever it was, this ce was no longer safe.


    Without a second thought, M began searching the entire house, checking and double-checking everything, evenbing through her collection room. Nothing seemed to be missing.


    Except for that window, deliberately left open, as if someone wanted her to find it. Both suspects were possible.


    But then she remembered what Leonard had told her at the hospital yesterday: things had gotten dangeroustely, and she should consider moving back to the old family estate or to Lysander''s grandfather''s ce. That made her lean toward the idea that it was someone from the Montgomery family who had snuck in.


    If it had been Cossio, he probably would have been more aggressive.


    This felt more like a warning.


    He''lle looking for you.


    Sophia''s words echoed in M''s mind, darkening her expression. Was this a warning from Lysander? A way to remind her he was always watching, demanding her obedience?


    She took several deep breaths.


    Over my dead body.


    She couldn''t stay here another night.


    With that, M hurried upstairs and packed a few days'' worth of essentials. By the time Adrian finished washing up and came out, he found several suitcases stacked in the bedroom. Whatever sleepiness he''d had vanished instantly. "Mom, are we going away for a while?"


    "No, sweetheart." M zipped up thest suitcase, forcing a smile. "You don''t have


    to go to school for now, so I thought we''d stay somewhere with a nicer view for a few days. Just to clear our heads, that''s all."


    "Okay! Where are we going?"


    As long as he was with his mom, Adrian didn''t mind.


    "Morning, Adrian!"


    Outside Lillian''s Manor in the Bamboo Grove neighborhood, Adrian''s little face was dark and stormy. He red at Forrest, who had just stepped out from the house across the street, smiling warmly. Adrian clenched his jaw.


    He''d agreed to meet this Mr. Whitmore, but that didn''t mean it had to be this soon! Why was he here already?


    "Mom!" Adrian grabbed M''s sleeve, clearly unhappy and confused.


    "Ahem." M hadn''t had a chance to exin things to him


    beforehand her fault, really. But everything had happened so


    suddenly. She cleared her the


    "This is one of Mommy''s houses. The area''s beautiful. Mr. Whitmore happens to live across the street, so if I''m ever busy or have to go out, you can ask him for help or just hang out with him..."


    "That''s right," Forrest chimed in with a friendly grin. "I''m just across the way.


    You''re wee anytime—make yourself at home."


    "I''m not family with you! I''m not going over!" Adrian shouted, then dashed inside.


    "Adrian!"


    M called after him, but he was already gone. She turned to Forrest, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, he''s... I think he knows, but he''s just not ready, you know?"


    “It''s fine,” Forrest said gently, understanding in his eyes. He wasn''t in any rush. Instead, he helped M carry the suitcases in from the car.


    Once everything was inside, he finally asked, "What made you move here so suddenly?"


    He''d been surprised when M called to say she wasing back to this house— happy, but surprised. She''d seemed flustered at the time, so he hadn''t pushed for answers. Now, though, he needed to know.


    M didn''t hide anything from him.


    After she''d exined, Forrest


    Qu


    frowned and immediately tried to reassure her. "Don''t worry. We have people from the organization watching this area. I''ll have them step up security-nothing like that will happen here, I promise


    M nodded.


    "I trust you."


    After discovering the break-in, her first impulse was to hire more bodyguards, but she worried-what if she identally brought in someone nted by Cossio or Lysander? That would be like inviting the wolf into the house.


    The more she thought about it, the more Forrest''s ce seemed like the safest option.


    Because of his special status and importance to the organization, the area around him was always under tight protection. No way either Cossio or Lysander could get close.


    It was the only truly safe ce.


    That was also why she was so


    anxious for Adrian to getfortable around Forrest-she and Jade had agreed: within seven days of returning to the country, whether Adrian and Julian''s situation was resolved or not, she would have to return to Ennd.


    Otherwise, Jade woulde herself.


    And that would only make things moreplicated.


    Besides, her reasons foring back weren''t just about that agreement. She''d also promised Jade she would ask Adrian if he wanted to stay with the


    Montgomery family, or go with her to the Suthends in Ennd.


    She hadn''t broached the subject yet.


    Partly because she still didn''t know how, and partly because there wasn''t any


    point—until Cossio''s threat was dealt with, even if Adrian wanted to leave with her, it would be too dangerous. What if something happened on the way?