40

Chapter 40

Darcy’s POV

At the office,I was halfway through a conference call with Tokyo when my phone rang, not my main phone. That line is my private emergency phone — only a few people have the number, and when it rings I know immediately, something important is happening. I never miss calls to that direct line; I told those few people not to use it unless it’s an emergency.

My skin went cold before I even picked up.

“Excuse me,” I told the executives on screen. “I need to take this. Mark will continue.” I muted myself and answered the phone. “This better be important.”

“Sir, it’s Leo.” His voice was tight. “We have a situation.”

My heart dropped. “Pink?”

“She’s safe. But there was an incident at the park. A man approached Ms. Martinez and Pink. I intervened before anything happened, but—”

“What park? What man?” I stood up immediately, grabbed my jacket. “Where are they now?”

“In the car, heading back to the mansion. The man ran when I arrived. He had a hoodie; I didn’t get a clear look. Ms. Martinez seemed to know him.”

Those words hit like a blow. A man had gotten close to my daughter and Adrian, and Leo, the man I trusted to keep her safe, had missed it, even if only for a moment.

“How did he get that close?” I asked, my voice low. “You were supposed to be watching them.”

“I was on a call for thirty seconds, sir. Thirty seconds…”

“Thirty seconds is all it takes.” Fury flared. “If this happens again, you’re fired. Your only job is her safety.”

“Understood, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not.” I cut the call and grabbed my keys. Mark must have heard the change in my voice; he appeared at my door.

“Sir? The meeting—”

“Cancel everything for today,” I said. “Something’s come up with Pink.”

“Is she all right?”

“She’s fine. I just need to be home. Now.”

The drive was never ending as I wanted to be home at once. My mind ran through the worst-case incident that could have happened. Who was that man? What did he want? Had he threatened or touched my daughter? Adrian is an ex-con and she's not safe for my daughter. She should've told me someone dangerous was after her let me handle it?

When I pulled into the mansion, I handed my keys to the nearest bodyguard there to park it in the garage. Leo’s car was already there. They were back. At least they were home.

In the living room, Adrian sat with Pink curled in her lap. Leo hovered nearby, looking guilty. Pink’s face had tear marks on it and her school clothes were wrinkled.

“Daddy!” she cried when she saw me, and pulled closer into my arms.

I hugged her closely. “Are you okay, princess? Did anyone hurt you?”

“No, but a scary man talked to Adrian and...” she hiccuped. “I was so scared, Daddy.”

“You’re safe now,.” I kissed her forehead and breathed in, relieved she was here with me and unharmed.

I looked at Adrian. She looked pale, her hands were shaking slightly as she covered it so I wouldn't notice. Good. At least she needed to feel the weight of what had happened.

“Leo, take Pink upstairs,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Get her some water and a snack. I need to speak with Ms. Martinez.”

“Daddy...” Pink started.

“Just give me a minute," I said. “When I come up, we’ll talk about it together.”

When Leo left with Pink, I turned to Adrian. “What happened? Who was that man?”

She stood, folding her arms at her back. “It was nothing. Just someone I know from my past. He didn’t hurt us…”

“He approached my daughter in a public park and frightened her,” I cut in. “Leo said you looked like you knew him. Who was he?”

“A past friend,” she said. “That is all.”

“Stop lying to me, Adrian.” I said with my sharp voice. “Not about this. Not when it involves Pink.”

“I’m not lying…”

“Then why won’t you call his name? Why is it so hard for you to do so? ” I moved closer, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Why won’t you explain what he wanted?”

“Because it’s my past, Sir Rodrigo,” she snapped. “It’s messy. I don’t want to drag you or Pink into it.”

“It’s everything to do with Pink the moment he came near her.” I felt the panic and anger rise together. “Do you understand how dangerous that was? If Leo hadn’t been there…”

“He said,he wants to talk, that’s all,” she said, “He’s trying to scare me. Just to remind me he’s still there.”

“Why would he do that?” I asked.

“Because I know things about him,” Adrian answered quietly. “Things that could ruin him if they came out. I can’t tell you. Please, Darcy, I just want to be left alone.”

A cold clarity settled in my head. “This is about your conviction, isn’t it? About what happened three years ago.”

Her silence said more than words.

“Was he the one who framed you?” I asked. “Is that why you have refused to tell me what won’t tell me his name? Because you’re afraid of what he’d do?”

“Darcy, please,” she whispered.

“Just tell me his name.” My tone softened. “Let me help. Let me protect you.”

For a beat, I thought she might. I saw the urge to unload the burden she’d carried alone. But she shook her head. “I can’t. If you get involved, it will make things worse.”

“How could that be worse than him showing up while you were with Pink?” I demanded.

“Darcy, you don’t know what he’s capable of doing,” she said. “ He'll go any length to protect himself.”

Her fear made my chest tighten. This wasn’t just her talking. She was genuinely terrified. He must be dangerous — dangerous enough to have already wrecked her life once.

“Check on Pink,” I said finally, letting go of her shoulders. “Make sure she’s okay. We’ll talk more later.”

Adrian nodded and went upstairs. I watched her go, mind already shifting to action.

If she wouldn’t tell me, I would find him.

I called Mark. “I need you to start an investigation now. Pull Adrian’s case files. Look for names connected to her arrest. Interview anyone who knew her then. Use every resource. Costs don’t matter. I want a full background, associates, criminal records, and whereabouts.”

“That could take time without a name, sir,” Mark said.

“Start with the files. Find names. Quietly,” I said. “This is priority one.”

“I understand. I’ll begin immediately.”

I hung up and waited, muscles tight. I’d dealt with takeovers and spies before, but this felt different.

My phone buzzed. A message from security: Perimeter increased. All entry points are monitored. Team briefed on potential threat.

Good. I replied: Dedicated detail for Pink. Two guards minimum, rotating shifts. No one within ten feet without clearance. Begin facial recognition on all entrants.

It's already in progress, sir, came the reply.

It helped me, but it didn’t calm down my nerves. I wouldn’t relax until I knew the reason why that man came for Adrian and what he wanted from Adrian or my daughter.

My phone rang again. Mark’s voice was tight when he spoke. “I found something in Adrian’s arrest report. There’s a name mentioned repeatedly — Martin . He was her boyfriend at the time. He gave a statement to the police claiming he knew nothing.”

Martin. A name at last.

“No surname?”

“Not yet Sir,” Mark said, "I'm still looking into his details”

“Send me everything you have on him,” I ordered. “Where he’s been the last three years. Who he’s connected to. Any crimes. Find him.”

“Sir, if he really did frame Ms. Martinez, he could be dangerous.”

“I don’t care how dangerous he is,” I said. “Find him. Expose him. Make sure he can’t hurt Pink or Adrian again.”

“I’ll have preliminary findings by tomorrow morning Sir,” Mark said. "Count on me."

Tomorrow felt far away, but it was a start.

Upstairs, I could hear Pink’s voice — softer now, talking with Adrian. The sound tightened something in my chest. She was three. She deserved to play and learn and sleep without fear.

I had yelled at Adrian earlier. I’d demanded answers as if she’d caused this. But she was a victim too. She’d lost years of peace already. My anger had come from fear, not blame, and I needed to show her that.

First, we would find Martin. Then I would make sure he could never come near my family again.