**ELENA’S POV**
I do not realize I am holding my breath until Damian steps in front of me. His arm stretches out slightly, guiding me a few inches behind his body as he and the security team approach the box sitting at our door. It is small, square, wrapped in plain brown paper. Ordinary. That is what makes it terrifying. Adrian never needed theatrics to terrify someone. Simplicity was always enough.
My legs feel unsteady. The air is too thin. My heart beats so loudly that I cannot hear anything else for a moment. Damian signals to Marcus and another guard. They move like they are approaching a live explosive.
Maybe they are.
Marcus crouches first, scanning it with a handheld detector. He shakes his head. No explosives. No chemical signatures. No biological weapons. That should comfort
