Page 51 of Beautiful Agony

"You can sit up now, Dad," I whisper, helping him back onto the seat. His hand finds mine and grips it with surprising strength. The familiar warmth of his palm against mine provides a small measure of comfort amid the chaos.

"Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy FUCK!" Freddy's voice rises hysterically from the front seat. "They're trying to fucking kill us!"

"Shut up and keep watch," Vadim snaps, his eyes never leaving the road as he weaves between cars at terrifying speeds. "Tell me if you see any vehicles following us."

I turn to Dad, hoping to see some spark of recognition in his eyes. For just a moment, I think I catch a glimpse of awareness,like he might say my name. My breath catches in my throat as I wait.

But his lower lip just trembles, and his gaze remains distant and confused as he stares through me. I know that look—he's searching for Mom again, trying to find Laura the way he always does when he's scared or upset.

The familiar ache blooms in my chest and all I can do is squeeze his hand gently.

The highway stretches ahead of us, other cars becoming blurs as Vadim pushes the SUV faster. Despite the lingering fear coursing through my veins, I focus on Dad's hand in mine, on being the anchor he needs.

The familiar gatesof Pankration rise before us as we pull up to the entrance. My nerves are still jangled from the shooting, but at least we made it. Dad's hand remains firmly clasped in mine, anchoring me to the present despite my racing thoughts.

As we enter the grand foyer, I spot Megan immediately. She springs up from where she's sitting with Demyon, her face lighting up at the sight of us. Before I can even say hello, she wraps both Dad and me in a tight embrace.

"Oh my God, are you okay? When Demyon told me that you guys went to get Dad, I thought—" She pulls back, checking us over with worried eyes.

"We're fine," I assure her, though my voice shakes slightly. "They took a couple of shots at us, but the windows were bulletproof."

That's when Freddy stumbles in behind us, and Megan's whole demeanor changes. She stiffens, her warm expression turning to ice as she stares at him.

"What the hell ishedoing here?" she demands, stepping protectively closer to Dad.

Freddy's lip curls. "Could ask you the same thing."

But whatever bravado he's trying to project dies instantly when Demyon rises to stand behind Megan, his massive frame casting a shadow over Freddy. I watch him shrink back, his confidence evaporating as Demyon glares at him with a murderous glint in his eye, as if waiting for Freddy to give him an excuse.

"I-I mean..." Freddy stammers, backing away until he hits the wall. "Never mind."

The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. Dad's grip on my hand tightens, and I can feel him trembling slightly. Whether from fear or confusion, I'm not sure. Probably both.

Vadim steps into the foyer, and his commanding presence immediately fills the space.

"Lenka," he calls out. She appears almost instantly. "Please show Mr. Huang and his son to their rooms."

As Lenka approaches, Megan squeezes my hand. "I'll go with Dad," she says softly. "Help him get settled. I'm sure the three of you have a lot to talk about."

I watch as she follows them up the grand staircase, my heart aching at how lost Dad looks. Demyon's gaze lingers on Megan's retreating form before he turns back to us, his expression serious.

"What's going on?" he asks, directing the question at Vadim. "You just told me to bring the sister here, nothing else."

Vadim's jaw tightens. "Sayanaa sent us a letter this morning." His hand finds the small of my back, protective and steady. "She knows about the pregnancy."

My hand instinctively moves to my still-flat belly. The memory of that bullet in the envelope, and the way the glass next to my head spidered from another bullet's impact makes me shudder.

"She made it clear that she intends to target our child." Vadim's voice hardens.

I do love the challenge of hitting a small target.

"Which means she's been watching Pankration," I add, my voice barely above a whisper. "She must have seen Dr. Chen's visit. And if she's been watching, she's seen Megan coming and going. It was only a matter of time before she found Dad and Freddy too."

Demyon's expression darkens as understanding dawns. "So bringing them here is the only way to keep them safe."

"Yes," Vadim confirms. "And after our car got shot up, it's clear that Sayanaa, Kirsan, and Olga are already moving against us."

I hug Vadim's arm and lean into him, drawing strength from his presence while trying to push away the terror of what could have happened if those windows hadn't been bulletproof.

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