Adrian appeared behind the Wainwright couple. Larissa swiftly turned to face him, while Marc also directed his attention toward Adrian.

"What's the matter? Any objections?" Adrian inquired.

Marc wore a wry smile as he cautiously said, "Nearly all of the one hundred individuals who fled hold positions in the upper echelons of the empire, or at the very least, they have connections with prominent noble families..."

"So what?" Adrian waved his hand.

"So what?" Adrian waved dismissively.

Lucy