Chapter 30 – The Weight of His Protection
Lena woke to silence.
No buzzing phone. No flashing notifications. No endless flood of messages tearing her apart. For the first time in days, her world was still.
She sat up slowly, blinking at the soft morning light streaming through Adrian's penthouse windows. Her heart thudded. Too quiet.
Grabbing her phone, she hesitated before switching it on. The screen lit up — but the chaos was gone.
The articles had vanished. The hateful headlines erased. Even her father's name, which had haunted every search, was buried again beneath old reports.
Her chest tightened. "What…?"
Before she could think further, Adrian appeared, already dressed in his immaculate suit, as if he hadn't slept at all. He set a tray of breakfast on the table, his movements precise. "Eat something," he said softly.
But Lena just stared at him. "You did this, didn't you?"
He paused, his back to her, then turned slowly. His eyes gave nothing away. "The world forgot overnight. That's all that matters."
"No." Her voice shook. She stood, her bare feet cold against the marble floor. "Tell me the truth, Adrian. What did you do?"
His jaw tightened. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, finally, his voice came low, controlled. "I reminded them who they're dealing with."
Her lips parted, disbelief flooding her. "You threatened them."
"I protected you."
Her breath caught. The man standing before her was the same one who'd held her when she cried, whispered comfort when the world turned cruel. And yet — this was also the man powerful enough to bend empires, to silence nations with a single call.
"Adrian…" Her voice broke. "You can't just destroy people for me."
His expression hardened, a storm behind his eyes. "I'll destroy anyone who tries to touch you."
Her heart twisted painfully. Gratitude warred with guilt, love with fear. She wanted to collapse into his arms, to let him shield her from everything. But part of her whispered — How much more will he risk because of me?
Tears stung her eyes. "You'll lose everything if you keep this up."
Adrian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his gaze locked on hers. "The only thing I'd lose, Lena, is you. And that… I will never allow."
She stood frozen, his words wrapping around her like chains and wings all at once.
And for the first time, Lena realized — Adrian wasn't just fighting for her. He was fighting against the entire world.
And he wouldn't stop.