Adrian walked beside Arabella through the final security checkpoint, his presence was a strong shield for her. When they reached the heavy steel door of the intensive care cell, Adrian stopped, turning to Arabella. He pressed a firm, lingering kiss to her forehead. "I'm right here. Take as long as you need."Arabella took a deep breath, nodded, and stepped inside as the guard unlocked the door.The man lying in the narrow hospital bed looked nothing like the hefty, cruel patriarch who had haunted her childhood. Richard was completely withered, his skin was thin and sickly, his breathing was shallow and rattling as it was assisted by a rhythmic oxygen monitor. The heavy iron cuffs anchoring his frail ankle to the bed frame felt almost absurd given how weak he was.As the door closed, Richard’s sunken eyes fluttered open. He looked at Arabella, and for a second, a spark of his old, intelligent self flashed in his gaze before fading into exhaustion."You came," Richard croaked, his voice
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