‎📖 Bound by Fate, Tied by Love
‎
‎🌹 Chapter 10: The Stranger's Warning
‎
‎The corridor seemed to shrink around them, shadows stretching long under the dim candlelight. Isabella's breath caught in her throat as the man stepped closer, his presence commanding and unnervingly calm.
‎
‎Adrian shifted, his broad frame shielding her completely. His voice was cold, deliberate.
‎"Why are you here?"
‎
‎The stranger's lips curved in a humorless smile. "Why am I here? You should be asking yourself why you thought I wouldn't be." His gaze flicked briefly to Isabella, sharp as a blade. "And why you would bring her into this."
‎
‎Isabella stiffened, her pulse thundering. She opened her mouth to speak, but Adrian's hand pressed lightly against hers—a silent plea for silence.
‎
‎"Leave her out of this," Adrian said firmly, his jaw clenched.
‎
‎The man chuckled softly, though his eyes never softened. "Ah… the great Adrian Cole. Always protecting, always hiding. But tell me—does she even know what you're protecting her from? Or who you truly are?"
‎
‎The words sliced through the silence like glass shattering. Isabella's heart lurched. She looked at Adrian, her mind screaming with questions, but his expression gave nothing away—only an unreadable mask.
‎
‎"Enough," Adrian said, his tone edged with steel.
‎
‎The stranger tilted his head, studying him like a predator circling prey. "You can delay the truth, Adrian, but you cannot bury it. Secrets rot in silence… and when they do, they destroy everything."
‎
‎Isabella couldn't hold back anymore. Her voice trembled, but it carried. "Who are you?"
‎
‎The man's gaze shifted to her fully for the first time. Those eyes—dark, unyielding—studied her with unsettling intensity. Then, slowly, he offered the faintest of bows.
‎"Someone who once knew Adrian better than anyone. Someone who knows what he has done."
‎
‎Her breath caught. "What do you mean?"
‎
‎Adrian's voice cut through the air, low and commanding. "Do not answer her."
‎
‎The stranger smirked. "Protecting her from me? Or from yourself?"
‎
‎A heavy silence fell. Isabella's chest tightened, torn between fear and the desperate need to understand. She looked at Adrian, her voice breaking.
‎"Adrian… what is he talking about?"
‎
‎For the first time, she saw hesitation in Adrian's eyes—a flicker of conflict, of something unspoken. His hand clenched at his side.
‎
‎The stranger took another step forward, his presence suffocating. "You can lie to her, Adrian. But lies have a way of unraveling. And when they do…" His gaze shifted back to Isabella, locking her in place. "…it won't be me she fears."
‎
‎Before Adrian could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. Guards turned the corner, alerted by the earlier disturbance. The stranger glanced at them, then back at Adrian with a knowing smile.
‎
‎"This conversation isn't over," he murmured, his voice low enough that only the three of them could hear. "You can't outrun the past."
‎
‎And just as quickly as he had appeared, he melted back into the shadows, vanishing before the guards reached them.
‎
‎Isabella's hands trembled. Her mind spun with questions, fear, and doubt. She turned to Adrian, her voice sharp with desperation.
‎"Adrian—what did he mean? What past? What is he hiding from me?"
‎
‎For a long moment, Adrian said nothing. His gray eyes were dark, stormy, unreadable. Finally, he exhaled a heavy breath and spoke, his voice strained.
‎"There are things you're not ready to hear. Not yet."
‎
‎Her chest ached. Anger rose to meet fear. "Not ready? Adrian, I'm already living in your world of whispers and shadows. If you keep shutting me out, how can I even trust you?"
‎
‎The weight of her words hung between them like a blade.
‎
‎Adrian reached out, his fingers brushing hers, but his touch felt heavier this time—like a plea rather than a comfort. "You have to trust me, Isabella. Even if I can't give you answers tonight."
‎
‎But as his words settled, Isabella realized something that chilled her deeper than the stranger's warning:
‎
‎It wasn't just the shadows she feared.
‎It was the secrets Adrian carried within them.
‎
‎
‎
‎
‎
‎
‎