Page 65 of His By Contract

“Georgia.” Ms. Jenny stepped forward, her manicured hand settling on Georgia’s arm. “I’m sure Mr. Adler has important matters to attend to. Why don’t you finish up here while I show him out?”

The gentle pressure of Ms. Jenny’s fingers urged Georgia toward the supply closet. Georgia stepped back, her cheeks burning as she tried to make herself smaller, invisible. The cleaning rag twisted in her hands as she avoided Adrian’s gaze.

Adrian didn’t move beyond slipping his phone into his pocket, but he somehow took up more of the small space, as if the very air bent around him. His eyes fixed on Ms. Jenny’s hand still resting on Georgia’s arm. When he spoke, his voice dropped low and smooth, the kind of softness that pulled at her senses and commanded every scrap of focus.

“Remove your hand and leave. Now.”

Ms. Jenny’s fingers jerked away from Georgia’s arm as if burned. Her face drained of color as she stumbled back, registering the dangerous edge in Adrian’s tone.

“I-I’m so sorry, Mr. Adler. Of course.” She retreated quickly down the hall.

Georgia swallowed hard. She could feel Adrian’s attention return to her, heavy and absolute, but couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. The air felt thick, charged with unspoken words and barely contained power.

Georgia watched Adrian’s back as he strode from the office, his aura crackling through the space like static before a storm. His footsteps echoed down the hallway, each stride radiating authority that rippled through the building like aftershocks.

Her fingers trembled as she hovered in the doorway. The familiar urge to run warred with something deeper, an invisible thread pulling her toward him. Theo’s small hand slipped into hers, warm and real, anchoring her to the present.

The black sedan waited outside, gleaming under the afternoon sun. Adrian’s driver, James, stood beside it, his face a mask of professional indifference. He’d positioned himself at perfect attention, hands clasped behind his back, eyes forward: a soldier awaiting orders.

Adrian stopped at the car door. His shoulders drew tight beneath his tailored jacket, the fabric pulling across his back as he bowed his head. His fingers flexed at his sides, betraying a crack in his composure.

Georgia stepped onto the sidewalk, her heart drumming against her ribs. Theo pressed against her leg, and she rested her hand on his shoulder.

“Mommy,” Theo whispered, tugging at her shirt. His eyes fixed on Adrian with undisguised curiosity. “Who is he?”

“Shh, baby.” Georgia squeezed his shoulder gently. “Stay close to me.”

She froze as Adrian turned, his profile sharp against the late afternoon light. His voice reached across the space between them, each word weighted and firm.

“Get in the car, Georgia.”

Her muscles tensed, fight-or-flight instincts screaming through her body. The urge to grab Theo and run pulsed through her veins. But seeing the set of Adrian’s shoulders, the way his fingers curled at his sides, she recognized the signs. He wouldn’t let them disappear again.

Lead filled her legs as she forced herself to move forward. Each step felt like walking through deep water, her body fighting against the inevitable pull toward him. The cotton of her uniform clung to her back, damp with nervous sweat.

The knot in her stomach coiled tighter as they approached the car. The familiar smell of leather seats and Adrian’s cologne hit her, memories flooding back of countless rides in similar vehicles. Her throat closed up.

“It’s okay, baby,” she whispered, lifting Theo into her arms. His small body pressed against her chest, warm and trusting. “We’re just going for a ride.” The words came out shakier than she intended, and she felt Theo stiffen slightly in response.

Georgia slid across the leather seat, guiding Theo into the middle. She helped Theo buckle his seatbelt, her fingerstrembling slightly as Adrian settled in beside them, closing the door with a soft click.

Theo leaned forward, his small hands exploring the pristine leather seats. His eyes widened at the illuminated control panel, fingers hovering over the buttons without touching. “Wow,” he whispered, twisting to look at the ceiling. “It’s a spaceship.”

From the corner of her eye, Georgia caught Adrian staring down at Theo. His jaw clenched and unclenched, his usual mask of control cracking around the edges as he watched their son’s fascination. The reality of Theo’s existence seemed to hit him anew with each passing second.

Georgia pressed herself against the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest. She fixed her gaze out the window, counting streetlights to steady her breathing. The familiar ache of wanting to reach for Adrian warred with the need to maintain distance.

The silence in the car pressed down like a physical weight until Theo broke it with quiet ‘vroom vroom’ sounds, his head bobbing as he pretended to drive. His innocent play felt surreal against the suffocating tension.

Adrian’s fingers tapped a steady rhythm against his knee, the only outward sign of his inner turmoil. His shoulders remained perfectly straight, his breathing measured, but Georgia recognized the controlled movement as a rare tell.

In the front seat, James kept his eyes locked on the road. Georgia had seen him drive Adrian countless times before, always the picture of discretion. Now his practiced neutrality seemed strained, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as child-made engine sounds filled his usually silent domain.

The heaviness of Adrian beside her bore down on Georgia, as tangible as gravity itself. Questions hung unspoken between them, heavy with three years of absence and secrets. She swallowed back explanations that threatened to spill out.

As they approached her neighborhood, Georgia’s mind raced through scenarios of how to keep Theo from being swept into Adrian’s world of power plays and danger, how to shield him from the inevitable storm brewing in his father’s rigid posture.

“Look! A monster truck!” Theo pointed excitedly out the window, his small body leaning forward to get a better view of the semi. The corner of Adrian’s mouth softened for a fraction of a second, but his eyes remained sharp, focused, as if he didn’t trust himself to fully relax.

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