Before the thought could fully form, a strange feeling crawled up his spine.
Someone was watching him.
He turned slowly.
A small girl stood a few steps away.
She looked about seven years old.
Her bare feet were dusty, and she wore a faded green dress that hung loosely over her thin shoulders. Her hair was tangled as if the wind had been playing with it all morning.
But what struck Adrian most were her eyes.
They were calm and serious—far older than a child’s should be.
She wasn’t begging.
She simply stared at the poster resting on his lap.
“Hello,” Adrian said gently. “Do you need something?”
The girl stepped closer and pointed at the photograph of Lucas.
Then she spoke in a quiet, clear voice.
“Sir… that boy lives in my house.”
Time froze.
Adrian’s heart slammed against his chest.
He dropped to his knees in front of her, not caring about the dust covering his expensive suit.
“What did you say?” he asked, barely breathing. “Look at me carefully. Are you sure?”
The girl nodded calmly.
“He lives with my mom and me,” she said. “He’s very quiet. He likes drawing on old paper… and he cries at night.”
Adrian’s throat tightened.
“Does he call for his dad?”
The girl nodded again.
“Very softly… so no one hears.”
For a moment Adrian felt as if the ground had disappeared beneath him.
Lucas loved drawing.
Lucas had always been sensitive.
His son was alive.
“Where is your house?” Adrian asked urgently. “Is it far?”
She pointed down a narrow street.
“Just around the corner. The house with the blue windows.”
“Please take me there,” he begged.
The girl hesitated.
“My mom says I shouldn’t talk to strangers… especially about the boy.”
“I promise no one will hurt you,” Adrian said. “I only want to see him.”
After a moment, she nodded and began walking.
Adrian followed immediately, leaving his car, his driver, and his old life behind.
They moved through a maze of tight alleys and crooked stairways. With every step, Adrian felt as if he were walking toward a truth that could either save him—or destroy him completely.
Finally the girl stopped.
She pointed to a small, worn house with peeling paint and faded blue window frames.
“This one.”
Adrian’s hands shook as he knocked on the door.
Three sharp knocks echoed through the quiet street.
After several seconds, the door opened slightly.
A tired woman appeared, dark circles beneath her eyes.
The moment she saw Adrian, panic flashed across her face.
“Yes?” she said nervously.