He looked between the three of us. Took in my clenched fists. Cal's rigid posture. Noah's positioning between us. The tension thick enough to choke on.
“Dominic,” Adrian said quietly. “Stand down.”
I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell Adrian this was my business, my problem, my right to be angry. But Adrian's tone left no room for negotiation. So I stepped back. Put distance between me and Cal even though every instinct screamed to close it again.
“I need to speak with you. Privately.” Cal said.
Adrian studied Cal for a long moment. Then his gaze shifted to me with an expression I recognised—the particular look he got when pieces he'd been watching finally clicked into place exactly as he'd predicted.
“Callahan Mercer,” Adrian said. Not a question. A confirmation.
My chest tightened. “You knew.”
“Of course I knew. Did you think I wouldn't notice? That my security wouldn't flag an investigator with known grudges entering my territory?” Adrian's voice stayed level. Almost amused. “I've been waiting for you to tell me yourself.”
“I also seem to recall,” Adrian continued, “explicitly telling you to stay off this case. That pursuing your sister's investigation would make you a target.” His eyes held mine. “And yet here we are. With you not only pursuing it, but partnering with someone who's been hunting Harrow even longer than you have.”
“I couldn't let it go,” I said. “You knew I wouldn't.”
“I knew you wouldn't. Which is why I've been monitoring the situation. Making sure your partnership with Mr Mercer didn'tget you killed before you had sense enough to ask for help.” Adrian moved around his desk. “What I didn't anticipate was how long you'd wait before coming to me honestly.”
“I didn't want to involve you unless it became necessary.”
“It became necessary the moment you started working with the likes of him.” Adrian's gaze hardened.
“I thought I could handle it.”
“You thought you could keep it separate. Keep your partnership with Mr Mercer isolated from your work here. Keep me at arm's length until you'd solved everything yourself.” Adrian's voice stayed level but carried weight. “That's not how trust works, Dominic. That's not how this family works. And if we're going to help you bring down Harrow, you need to stop treating me like a resource you access when convenient and start treating me like someone who deserves honesty.”
The words hit harder than they should have. Because he was right. I'd been compartmentalising. Keeping Cal's investigation separate from Adrian's world. Not because I didn't trust Adrian, but because involving him felt like admitting I couldn't handle this alone.
“You're right,” I said. “I should have told you.”
“Yes. You should have.” Adrian's expression softened fractionally. “But you're telling me now. So let's hear what Mr Mercer needs that's brought him to my door at this hour.”
He moved toward his office, then paused. Looked at me.
“My office. Noah, with me. Dominic—wait here.”
“Like hell.” The words came out before I could stop them. “If this is about the case?—”
“Then you'll be included when appropriate. But right now, Mr Mercer came to speak with me. So you'll wait here until I decide whether this conversation concerns you.”
It was dismissal. Polite but absolute. The kind Adrian used when he'd made a decision and wouldn't be argued with.
Cal walked past me without meeting my eyes. Noah followed. Adrian moved last, pausing just long enough to give me a look that saidcontrol yourselfwithout needing words.
The door to Adrian's office closed with a quiet click.
I stood in the corridor alone, fists clenched, jaw tight, trying to remember why murdering Cal would be counterproductive.
They werein there for twenty minutes. I spent all of them pacing, cataloguing exactly what I'd say when Cal came out. How I'd make him explain what the hell he was playing at. How I'd force him to acknowledge that disappearing without explanation after what we'd done wasn't tactical, it was cowardice.
When the door finally opened, Cal emerged first.
I was on him before he'd taken three steps.
“We're not done,” I said.
