Chapter 1 - The Shattered Glass
One of the security men rushed forward with a heavy iron tire iron.
Adrian did not wait for him.
He wrapped his tailored suit jacket around his fist.
He slammed his knuckles against the dark, tinted window of the SUV.
The reinforced glass spiderwebbed but refused to give way.
Adrian struck it again with a brutal, terrifying force.
The window finally shattered inward with a violent crash.
A wave of blistering heat rolled out from the vehicle like a furnace.
Adrian reached into the suffocating darkness of the back seat.
His hands found the tiny, sweat-soaked body of his infant son.
Owen was terrifyingly still.
His pale skin was flushed an angry red, and his lips carried a faint blue tint.
Adrian pulled the baby to his chest and stepped away from the blazing car.
"Call an ambulance!" he roared at the paralyzed security team.
Natalie backed away, her hands trembling violently.
She looked wildly toward the main gates of the estate.
Victor Shaw, the attorney, stepped in front of her to block her path.
"You are not going anywhere, Natalie," Victor said coldly.
Hannah, the housemaid, fell to her knees beside Adrian on the burning gravel.
She ripped the delicate cotton fabric of her white apron.
She pressed the cool, damp cloth against the baby's burning forehead.
Little Maisie stood perfectly still, clutching her plastic stethoscope tightly.
Adrian looked at Natalie with eyes that promised pure violence.
"Why did you lock him in there?" he whispered.
Natalie sobbed, shaking her head frantically.
"I didn't lock him in there, Adrian."
She pointed a shaking finger at Grant Mercer, the junior attorney.
May you like
"He did."
Before anyone could react, Grant pulled a suppressed pistol from his jacket.
