Irina’s POV

My cheap canvas backpack bounced heavily against my spine. I didn’t look back. Lily’s terrifying words echoed endlessly in my head like a broken record. *Forest green eyes. A dozen massive bodyguards. He is looking for Irina.*

Nicholas was here.

The Mad King had found my campus.

I reached the edge of the sprawling university quad. I was completely frantic, desperate to reach the safety of the subway station. But as I rounded the corner of the library, I completely froze.

My breath caught painfully in my throat.

There, standing right by the main wrought-iron gates of the school, was a wall of black suits.

They were massive, terrifying men. They wore dark sunglasses and earpieces. They stood with lethal, intimidating stillness, carefully watching every single student who walked off the campus. They weren’t regular security guards. They were wolves. I could feel the faint, heavy pressure of their presence from fifty feet away.

Pure, unadulterated terror flooded my veins.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it would crack my sternum. If they saw me, it was over. If they caught my scent, they would grab me and drag me straight to Nicholas.

I instantly ducked my head.

I pulled the collar of my oversized sweater up to hide the lower half of my face. My hands were shaking so violently I could barely grip the straps of my backpack. I quickly stepped into the middle of a large, noisy group of students leaving a lecture hall. I used them as a human shield, keeping my body completely hidden in the center of the crowd.

*Make yourself small,* my omega instincts screamed. *Do not look up. Do not breathe.*

We walked toward the iron gates. Every single step felt like walking across broken glass. The men in black scanned the crowd. Their sharp, predatory eyes swept right over us.

I held my breath. I stared rigidly at the dirty brick pavement.

We passed through the gates. They didn’t move. They didn’t reach out. They didn’t catch my scent over the overwhelming smell of cheap coffee and human perfume.

The absolute second the crowd dispersed on the city sidewalk, I sped up. I didn’t just walk—I ran. I ran down the concrete stairs into the subway station, completely fueled by blind, desperate panic.

The heavy iron gates of the Obsidian Holdings estate had never looked so incredibly beautiful.

I swiped my employee badge with trembling hands. The gate clicked open, and I sprinted down the paved driveway toward the staff entrance. I practically burst through the heavy wooden door of the warm kitchen.

"Luka!" I gasped out.

Clara looked up from the table. She was holding him, feeding him a warm bottle. Luka’s big, green eyes blinked at me, completely safe and perfectly happy.

A massive, shuddering sob of pure relief ripped from my throat. I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to force air back into my burning lungs. He was safe. Nicholas hadn’t found him.

"Oh, honey, are you alright?" Clara asked, her eyes wide with concern at my pale, sweaty face. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

"I’m fine," I choked out, forcing a weak smile. "Just... running late."

I hurried into the locker room. I practically ripped off my sweater and jeans, quickly changing into my crisp, dark grey uniform tunic and slacks. I tied my blonde hair back into a tight, severe knot.

I grabbed my cleaning supplies and threw myself completely into the work.

I needed the distraction. I needed the physical exhaustion. I scrubbed the imported marble floors. I polished the heavy brass door handles. I wiped down the endless rows of tall, arched windows in the east wing.

I scrubbed until my arms burned and my knees ached fiercely. The physical pain was the only thing keeping the blinding terror at bay. I couldn’t stop thinking about the black SUVs. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the monster who had tortured me was currently tearing the city apart to find me.

But he wouldn’t find me here.

This estate was a fortress. The security here was absolute. As long as I stayed behind these walls, I was safe.

By late afternoon, my shift was finally wrapping up. I pushed my heavy cleaning cart down the long, quiet corridor, ready to put my supplies away and go hold my son.

"Irina."

A sharp, authoritative voice echoed down the hall.

I jumped, spinning around.

Mrs. Gable was marching rapidly toward me. The strict human resources manager looked incredibly stressed today. Her usually flawless twist of hair was slightly messy, and she was clutching a massive, heavy stack of sealed manila folders against her chest.

"Mrs. Gable," I breathed out, quickly wiping my sweaty palms on my black slacks.

She didn’t offer a polite greeting. She stopped right in front of my cart and shoved the towering stack of documents directly into my hands. They were heavy, marked with bright red confidential stamps.

"I need you to deliver these files to the Rosewood Manor immediately," Mrs. Gable ordered, her tone brisk and entirely non-negotiable.

I blinked in shock, the heavy folders resting awkwardly in my arms.

The Rosewood Manor. It was a massive, secluded secondary house located deep on the far edge of the private estate grounds. It was strictly off-limits to the regular cleaning staff. We were never allowed to go near it.

"Mrs. Gable, I..." I stammered, my voice trembling slightly. "I don’t think I can. Delivering corporate documents isn’t my responsibility. I’m just a maid."

Mrs. Gable let out a sharp, highly frustrated sigh. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I am fully aware of your job description, Irina," she said strictly. "But I am in a complete bind today. The executive bodyguards who usually handle these highly classified internal deliveries are all gone."

I froze. "Gone?"

"Yes," Mrs. Gable muttered, clearly annoyed by the sudden disruption in her perfectly managed estate. "The entire security detail was suddenly called away to the city on some massive, unannounced emergency. There is absolutely no one else with the proper clearance left on the grounds to take these over."

"I need you to cover this for just today," Mrs. Gable continued, cutting through my racing thoughts. "The executives need these on the desk at Rosewood Manor right now. You just need to walk them over and drop them off. It will take ten minutes." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

I swallowed the dry, heavy lump in my throat.

I was terrified. I didn’t want to leave the safety of the main house. But Mrs. Gable had hired me when I was completely desperate. She had given me a chance to survive. I couldn’t look her in the eye and refuse a direct order.

"Okay," I nodded quickly, tightening my grip on the folders. "I’ll do it."

"Thank you. Go immediately," she instructed, turning sharply on her heel and marching back down the hall.

I carried the heavy stack of files back to the staff kitchen. Clara was sitting on the floor, gently stacking soft blocks for Luka to knock over. He let out a loud, bubbly giggle as the blocks tumbled down.

I walked over and crouched beside them. I pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Luka’s warm forehead.

"Clara, I have to run an errand for Mrs. Gable," I said softly, my voice still tight with lingering anxiety. "Can you watch him for just a little bit longer?"

"Take your time, sweetheart," Clara smiled warmly, patting my arm. "We are having a wonderful time."

I nodded gratefully. I stood up, leaving the baby with my colleague, and headed toward the manor.