Rodney slowed the car to a stop in front of Ewan's company, the engine humming low beneath the heavy silence. The massive glass structure rose like a monument before them, cold and reflective under the gray afternoon sky.
Athena's reflection in the tinted window looked pale and strained, her eyes shadowed from worry, her lips pressed tight.
She turned to Rodney, her voice quiet but firm. "Check on the children," she said. "If you notice anything—anyone following, any strange movement, any act of bullying—take them home. Don't wait for me."
Rodney's brow furrowed, sensing the storm behind her calm. "Ma'am…"
"Please, Rodney," she interrupted softly, her gaze fixed on the building. "Just… make sure they're safe." She knew he had been training with the guards back at the mansion.
He hesitated, then nodded. "I will."
