Chapter 152. In the Quiet Hours
The manor was silent.
Outside the window, rain kissed the glass in a gentle rhythm, and the world seemed to exhale after a long day of tension. The soft golden glow of the bedside lamps lit the room in warmth, casting shadows that flickered against the high walls of Ethan and Adrian’s bedroom.
Adrian sat curled at the edge of the bed, his knees tucked beneath him, flipping through a book he hadn’t really been reading. His silver eyes moved across the page, but his thoughts were elsewhere — tangled in memories of long days, children’s laughter, and the lingering pressure of responsibility.
Then the door creaked open.
Ethan stepped in, his silhouette broad against the dim hallway light, his dark eyes softening when they landed on Adrian. He shut the door gently, as though he didn’t want to disturb the quiet sanctuary that had settled between them.
"You’re still awake," Ethan said, voice low and husky.
Adrian looked up and smiled faintly. "Couldn’t sleep. Too much in my head."
Ethan walked toward him, his footsteps padded and slow. He sat beside Adrian, close but not crowding, and leaned back on his hands, gazing at the ceiling.
They sat like that for a long moment. The kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled.
"I kept thinking," Adrian murmured, "what if we hadn’t made it through? What if something had gone wrong with the serum, with the kids, with you?"
Ethan looked over at him. "But we did make it."
"I know," Adrian said, but his voice cracked a little, betraying the fear still lodged in his chest.