Aria's POV
The kid looked ready to bolt the second he saw me.
Of course. Because nothing says "hospital visit" like running into your fake son who hates your guts.
Marcus's eyes locked onto mine, and before the assistant could stop him, he broke free and charged at me.
He scooped up something from the ground—a rock, maybe a piece of gravel—and hurled it at me.
It hit my arm with a sharp sting.
I didn't even flinch.
The kid tried to run, but I was faster. I caught his wrist mid-flight and twisted his arm behind his back—not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to make him stop squirming.
"Marcus," I said, my voice low and controlled. "You really think there's no one here to keep you in check? You think I won't defend myself just because you're a child?"
He knew b
